King Harald V of Norway, a reformer and Europe’s oldest monarch, died Friday at the age of 89. His son, the newly-proclaimed King Haakon VIII, has inherited the Norwegian throne. Harald passed away peacefully in his sleep at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet at 6:35 a.m., local time, the royal palace of Norway said.
He helped us to see the best in ourselves—and in one another.” Harald had been admitted to the hospital on Aug. 17 and placed on sick leave after corticosteroid treatment for haemolytic anemia caused fluid retention that required hospital care, the palace revealed. His son, then-Crown Prince Haakon, 53, served as regent while his father was on leave. In an update on Aug. 23, the palace announced the King’s condition had worsened and that he would remain in the hospital to receive antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his bloodstream.
In recent days, Norwegians had begun to lay flowers in front of the palace in Oslo after the royal household said his condition had become “very serious.” Harald has been described as a monarch who modernized the institution. His marriage broke with royal convention when he wed the non-royal Sonja Haraldsen in 1968 after a lengthy struggle for permission from his family. In a widely noted 2016 Palace garden speech, Harald defined Norwegianness as encompassing immigrants, people of different religions, and LGBTQ people.
"Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other. Norwegians believe in God, Allah, everything and nothing," he said. While Norway is a constitutional monarchy, with the king serving as head of state similar to other royal houses in Europe, Norwegian monarchs have largely held symbolic roles, as legislative power rests with an elected parliament.
Stortinget, Norway’s parliament, said Friday that the King’s reign “was marked by closeness to the people” thanks to “the unifying way in which he has exercised his royal duties.” Norway will observe a period of mourning, with flags at royal residences, government buildings, and military installations set to remain at half-mast. Church bells rang out on Friday. The Church of Norway said it will arrange mourning services for the first Sunday after the King’s death.
As Norway mourns its long-reigning monarch, thoughts are also turning to his successor, who has been tasked with carrying on his father's legacy. Here’s what to know about what comes next and how King Harald is being remembered by his peers and European leaders. When a monarch in Norway passes away, the next person in the order of succession automatically becomes King or Queen, as the country cannot be without a head of state.
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