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Norway’s King Harald dies at 89
King Harald’s death ends a long reign and makes Crown Prince Haakon Norway’s new king.
What happened
King Harald V died peacefully at Oslo’s national hospital on Friday after treatment for a rare blood condition. He had reigned for 35 years. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, became king. The palace declared national mourning until the funeral, and mourners took flowers to the royal palace in Oslo.
Numbers
- 89Harald’s age at death
- 35 yearsLength of Harald’s reign
- 06:35Time of death in Oslo — Local time
Questions
- Who succeeds Harald as king?
- Haakon, Harald’s son, became king immediately and was scheduled to join the government for an extraordinary council of state.
- Why had Haakon been acting as regent?
- He had taken on the role while Harald was hospitalised, after the palace stated that the king’s condition had become extremely serious.
- How is Norway marking the death?
- The royal flag was lowered to half-mast, while people gathered at the palace with flowers during the declared mourning period.
- What set Harald apart historically?
- Born in Norway, he was the first Norwegian-born monarch in centuries and Europe’s oldest reigning monarch when he died.
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The catch
Coverage gives no funeral date or details of the ceremony marking Haakon’s accession.
Further palace plans remain unspecified.