Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, the Royal Palace announced on Friday, marking the end of a 35-year reign.
The monarch died peacefully at 6:35 a.m. on August 28, 2026, at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, where he had been receiving treatment since mid-August.
King Harald had been suffering from complications related to haemolytic anaemia and a bloodstream infection. His condition had deteriorated in recent days and was described as extremely serious. Members of the royal family, including Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon, had gathered at his bedside as his health worsened.
Harald V became king in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V. During his reign, he remained a popular and largely unifying figure in Norway, carrying out his duties as constitutional monarch for more than three decades.
At the time of his death, King Harald was Europe’s oldest serving head of state.
Under Norway’s constitutional succession rules, his son Crown Prince Haakon automatically succeeded him on the throne and became King Haakon VIII.
The accession of Haakon also changes the line of succession. His eldest child, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, becomes the heir apparent and is now first in line to the Norwegian throne. Her position marks a historic development, making her the first woman in the direct line of succession in more than 600 years.
Norway is now entering a period of national mourning as the country prepares to mark the death of one of its longest-serving modern monarchs and formally welcomes its new king.
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