King Harald V of Norway has passed away at age 89 after being hospitalized for treatment of a rare blood disorder. The Norwegian Royal Palace announced the news on Friday morning (August 28).
According to the Royal House statement, King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. Friday. Earlier, royal family members had visited him on Thursday, while many citizens gathered outside the palace to lay flowers after officials warned that his condition had become "extremely serious."
Crown Prince Haakon, the King's son, will automatically succeed according to protocol and is expected to reign as King Haakon VIII. Harald V ascended the throne in January 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, and had reigned for 35 years.
King Harald V was admitted to hospital on August 17 due to hemolytic anemia, a condition caused by abnormally rapid destruction of red blood cells, resulting in fatigue and shortness of breath. In recent years, he had faced multiple health issues, requiring a pacemaker and a reduction in official engagements. However, he never intended to abdicate, insisting he had taken a lifelong oath before the Norwegian Parliament.
Harald V was the first Norwegian king born on Norwegian soil since the 14th century. He was born in February 1937 near Oslo. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway, his mother took him and his sisters to Sweden and then to the United States, while his father and grandfather, King Haakon VII, remained in Britain during the war.
He was deeply beloved by the public following his 2011 speech after Anders Behring Breivik's terrorist attack that killed 77 people. At that time, he told mourners: "I still believe that faith in freedom is stronger than fear."
His death comes at a time when the Norwegian royal family faces turbulence. In January, documents revealed that Crown Princess Mette-Marit had exchanged letters with American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction years earlier. Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, the stepson of the new King Haakon, was also sentenced to four years in prison in June on two counts of rape and 32 other charges, including domestic violence.
