Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, ending a 35-year reign during which he became one of the country’s most respected and unifying public figures.The royal palace said Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital. He had been admitted on August 17 and was undergoing treatment for a bacterial infection in his bloodstream.Harald became king in 1991 and served as Norway’s constitutional head of state. He was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch at the time of his death and was known for supporting a more accessible and modern monarchy.His 53-year-old son immediately succeeded him as King Haakon VIII. Haakon’s 22-year-old daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, is now crown princess and first in line to the throne.Norway has entered a period of national mourning, with members of the public gathering outside the royal palace in Oslo to leave flowers and pay tribute.
Why it matters: Harald’s death brings Norway’s first change of monarch in 35 years and begins a new chapter for one of Europe’s longstanding constitutional monarchies.
