Norway's King Harald Dies at 89; Haakon Succeeds Him
Norway's King Harald has died at 89 after 35 years on the throne, with Crown Prince Haakon automatically succeeding him as monarch.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Norway's King Harald died Friday at the age of 89 after a period of serious illness, ending a reign that began in 1991 and immediately passing the throne to his 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today," the Norwegian palace said in a statement.
"King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28 at 6:35 am."
The flag at the royal palace in Oslo was lowered to half-mast as members of the public gathered outside for a second straight day, leaving flowers and paying tribute to a monarch widely regarded in Norway as a steady and unifying figure.
Harald, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, had been hospitalized since Aug. 17 with haemolytic anaemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed more rapidly than they can be replaced.
His condition deteriorated sharply this week, and the palace announced Thursday that it had become "extremely serious."
Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and other close family members spent much of Thursday at his bedside.
Harald had faced repeated health problems in recent years, including the fitting of a pacemaker, and had gradually reduced his public schedule.
Despite that, he repeatedly ruled out abdication, saying he had taken a lifelong oath before Norway's parliament.
He became king in 1991 and over more than three decades developed a reputation for modesty and political neutrality, while remaining broadly popular even among Norwegians skeptical of the monarchy.
Outside the palace Friday, 24-year-old Kaspara Bolstad described him as "a very steady and warm king."
"I think the entire Norwegian people see him as a role model and as someone who brings people together," she told AFP.
Magnus Skaugseth, 27, similarly praised Harald's inclusive public role, describing him as "a pillar" against growing political and social polarization.
The king's final year came amid considerable turbulence for Norway's royal family, including health problems affecting Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit and intense scrutiny surrounding other family members.
Yet Harald's personal standing remained comparatively strong.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store had already cancelled a planned trip to Germany on Thursday as the king's condition worsened.
Under Norway's constitutional monarchy, Haakon automatically succeeded his father upon Harald's death, beginning a new chapter for a royal house long shaped by the late king's reputation for continuity and restraint.