King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89, bringing an end to a more than three-decade reign marked by his efforts to modernize the monarchy while maintaining a close connection with the Norwegian people.
The Royal Palace announced that Harald died Friday at 6:35 a.m. at the National Hospital in Oslo. He had recently been hospitalized after suffering health problems related to a blood condition.
Harald became king on January 21, 1991, following the death of his father, King Olav V. He went on to become Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and remained on the throne despite recurring health challenges and speculation about whether he might abdicate.
His death automatically brings his son, Crown Prince Haakon, to the throne as King Haakon VIII. Haakon, 53, now becomes Norway’s new monarch, beginning the next chapter of the country’s modern royal history.
Harald was widely regarded as a popular and approachable monarch. During his reign, he worked to modernize the royal household while emphasizing values including inclusion, tolerance and national unity. His emotional public response to the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway, in which 77 people were killed, became one of the defining moments of his reign.
Born in 1937 in Asker near Oslo, Harald was just three years old when Nazi Germany invaded Norway during World War II. His mother took him and his sisters first to Sweden and later to the United States, while his father and grandfather remained in exile in Britain with the Norwegian government.
Harald later studied at the Norwegian Military College and Oxford University and developed a lifelong passion for sailing. Like his father, he represented Norway in Olympic sailing competitions and remained closely associated with the sport throughout his life.
In 1968, Harald married Sonja Haraldsen, his longtime sweetheart, after years of resistance to the idea of marrying outside European royalty. The couple had two children, Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise.
Norway’s monarchy has largely ceremonial responsibilities, with political authority resting with the country’s elected parliament and government. Nevertheless, the royal family remains an important national symbol and plays a significant role in diplomatic and cultural affairs.
The accession of King Haakon VIII now begins a new era for the Norwegian monarchy, as the country mourns a king remembered for his humility, public service and commitment to Norway.
Swifteradio.com
