Norway’s Royal Palace has announced that King Harald V died early Friday at the age of 89 at Oslo University Hospital.
King Harald had been hospitalized in recent days due to a blood disorder and developed a bacterial bloodstream infection during his treatment. He had also received medical treatment several times in recent years because of health problems.
Harald V became king in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, and remained on the throne for more than three decades.
During his reign, Harald was widely regarded as a popular monarch in Norway and played a role in modernizing the royal household. Despite his advancing age and health problems, he did not abdicate.
In recent years, the Norwegian king was hospitalized several times. In 2024, he fell ill during a private trip to Malaysia and later had a pacemaker fitted after returning to Norway.
King Harald V was born on February 21, 1937, near Oslo. During his childhood, amid the German occupation of Norway during World War II, he and his family spent time in exile in the United States.
His death marks the end of a long era for the Norwegian monarchy, and the succession is expected to proceed in accordance with Norway’s constitutional rules.
