Oslo, Aug 29 (V7N) – Norway's King Harald V has died at the age of 89, the palace announced on Friday, with his 53-year-old son Crown Prince Haakon automatically succeeding him on the throne. The king passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 am (0435 GMT).

"It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today," the palace said in a statement. The flag at the royal palace in Oslo was lowered to half-mast as crowds gathered outside to pay their respects.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said he had received the news with "deep sorrow". "An entire nation mourns, and at the same time remains profoundly grateful for a long life devoted to Norway. King Harald loved Norway. And Norway loved its king," he said in a statement. The government announced a period of national mourning until the king's burial.

Hundreds of flowers had already been laid outside the palace the day before, after the palace announced the king was in "extremely serious" condition in hospital.

 

Harald, who ascended the throne in 1991, was widely admired for his ability to unify the nation, particularly after the 2011 attacks by neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway's worst massacre since World War II. Vigdis Haug, 65, told AFP: "I think he has been such a down-to-earth king who has cared about all of us, and the words he always uses when he gives a speech are so wise and so valuable."

Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf called him "an outstanding representative of his country. He gave 'All for Norway,'" referring to Harald's royal motto. Britain's King Charles III mourned his "dear cousin," hailing Harald as a "towering figure." Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was "deeply saddened" by the passing of the king who reigned during the 1990s Oslo Accords negotiations.

Haakon will meet with the government to formally inform it of the monarch's death and announce the royal name and motto he has chosen. His 22-year-old daughter Ingrid Alexandra automatically becomes crown princess.

Europe's oldest reigning monarch, Harald had been hospitalised since August 17 with haemolytic anaemia, a condition causing abnormally rapid destruction of red blood cells. He faced mounting health problems in his final years but always ruled out abdicating, arguing he took a lifelong oath before parliament.

The past year has been turbulent for the Norwegian royal family. Queen Sonja, also 89, was briefly hospitalised in May due to heart problems. Crown Princess Mette-Marit faces scrutiny for her ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and her son from a prior relationship was sentenced to four years in prison for two rapes in June. Despite these challenges, the royals remain broadly popular, largely due to Harald's unifying status and modest lifestyle.

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