OSLO: Norway’s King Harald V has died aged 89, the royal palace announced on Friday, bringing his 35-year reign to an end. His 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, has automatically succeeded him as king.

King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6.35am on Friday, 28 August, the palace said. He had been receiving treatment in hospital since 17 August for haemolytic anaemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed more rapidly than they are produced.

The Norwegian flag at the Royal Palace in Oslo was lowered to half-mast as people gathered outside to mourn the monarch. Hundreds of flowers had already been placed outside the palace after the royal household announced that Harald was in an “extremely serious” condition.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre expressed his “deep sorrow” at the king’s death, saying the entire country was mourning while remaining grateful for his long service.

“King Harald loved Norway. And Norway loved its king,” Støre said.

The government has announced a period of national mourning until the king’s funeral.

A unifying figure

Harald, who became king in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, was widely regarded as a symbol of Norway’s modern, open and tolerant identity.

Members of the public paying tribute to him highlighted his ability to bring people together, particularly during moments of national crisis.

His response to the 2011 attacks by neo-Nazi extremist Anders Behring Breivik was frequently cited as an example of his role as a unifying figure. Breivik killed 77 people in Norway’s worst massacre since the Second World War.

“He was someone who always seemed to find the words that brought us together and gave us a sense of security,” Caroline Vagle, a reporter for Se og Hor magazine, told AFP.

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf described Harald as an “outstanding representative of his country”, while Denmark’s King Frederik called him “an extraordinary man”.

Britain’s King Charles III said he was mourning the death of his “dear cousin”, describing Harald as a “towering figure”.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also expressed his sadness over the monarch’s death, recalling Harald’s reign during the period when the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization were negotiated in the 1990s.

Church bells were due to ring across Norway at noon on Friday in honour of the late king.

Haakon becomes king

Crown Prince Haakon is expected to meet government officials on Friday to formally notify them of his father’s death and announce the royal name and motto he has chosen.

The flag over the Royal Palace will then be raised again, while flags at the royal balcony and other official buildings will remain at half-mast until after King Harald’s funeral.

Haakon’s 22-year-old daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, automatically becomes crown princess.

Harald was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch at the time of his death. Despite suffering from a series of health problems in recent years, he repeatedly ruled out abdication, saying he had taken a lifelong oath before the Norwegian parliament.

Scandals overshadow royal family

Harald’s final years were marked by growing health concerns as well as a series of controversies involving members of the Norwegian royal family.

Queen Sonja, also 89, was briefly hospitalised in May after experiencing heart problems.

Crown Prince Haakon’s wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has faced scrutiny over her past contact with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Documents released in the United States in January showed correspondence between the pair from 2011 to 2014.

Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced in June to four years in prison after being convicted of two rapes. He has appealed the verdict.

Mette-Marit, who suffers from a serious lung condition, underwent a lung transplant in July.

(AFP)