World News
Norway's King Harald V dies at 89 as Crown Prince Haakon succeeds throne
Europe's oldest monarch passed away at an Oslo hospital after suffering from a rare blood condition, ending a 35-year reign.
The short version
- King Harald V of Norway died at 89 on Friday morning at a hospital in Oslo following treatment for hemolytic anemia.
- His 53-year-old son automatically succeeded him, taking the throne as King Haakon VIII, while Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra becomes the new heir.
- The transition occurs as Norway's royal family faces declining public approval stemming from scandals involving Crown Princess Mette-Marit's past association with Jeffrey Epstein and her son's recent criminal conviction.
Key facts
- King Harald V died peacefully at 6:35 a.m. on Friday at Oslo University Hospital at the age of 89.[The Guardian · CBS News · Deutsche Welle]
- Harald was hospitalized on August 17 for treatment of hemolytic anemia, a rare blood condition, along with a bacterial blood infection.[The Guardian · BBC News · Deutsche Welle]
- Crown Prince Haakon automatically became King Haakon VIII upon his father's death, and his eldest child, Ingrid Alexandra, became crown princess and heir to the throne.[Associated Press · CBS News]
- Harald ascended the throne in January 1991 following the death of King Olav V and served as Norway's ceremonial head of state for 35 years.[CBS News · BBC News · The Washington Post]
- Born in 1937, Harald was the first Norwegian-born prince since 1370 and spent part of his childhood in Sweden and the United States after fleeing the Nazi invasion during World War II.[CBS News · NPR · BBC News]
- In June, Haakon's stepson, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison for two rapes and 32 other offenses.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
- Public polling from February showed support for the Norwegian monarchy dropped to 54%, down from 72% in 2024, following revelations regarding Crown Princess Mette-Marit's past contact with Jeffrey Epstein.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The outcome of Marius Borg Høiby's legal appeal remains pending following his conviction and four-year prison sentence in June.[The Guardian]
Sources
- Norway's King Harald V, Europe's oldest monarch, dies at 89CBS News - Top Stories
- Crown prince becomes King Haakon VIII after his father’s deathAssociated Press
- Norway’s King Harald V dies at 89Associated Press
- Norway's King Harald V dies at 89 and his son becomes King Haakon VIIINPR - World
- 🔴 Europe's oldest monarch, King Harald V of Norway dies at 89France 24
- Norway’s King Harald V dies at 89 and his son becomes kingABC News - Top Stories
- Norway's King Harald dies aged 89BBC News - World
- Norway’s King Harald, who fled Nazis as a child and modernized monarchy, dies at 89The Washington Post - National metered
- Norway’s King Harald dies leaving stormy succession over crown princess’s Epstein linksThe Guardian - World
- Norway's King Harald dies at 89Deutsche Welle