Norway's King Harald dies aged 89

What the report says

Norway’s King Harald V has died at age 89 after being hospitalized last week for treatment for a rare blood disorder, the palace in Oslo said. BBC World News reported that he died peacefully at the national hospital in Oslo at 06:35 local time on Friday, with royal family members visiting him in the hours before his death and flowers left outside the palace. The royal flag was lowered to half-mast. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, has succeeded him as king.

Harald reigned for 35 years and was widely seen in Norway as a modernizing and unifying monarch. According to the BBC, he was the first Norwegian-born king in the country since the 14th century and became known for a more open, egalitarian style of monarchy. He broke with royal tradition by marrying Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner, in 1968 after a long delay and later became a symbol of a more people-focused royal house.

The BBC said Harald was especially remembered for his response after the 2011 attacks in Oslo and at Utøya, when he urged Norwegians to support one another and not give in to fear. He also made a widely noted 2016 speech defending diversity of faith, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Beyond royal duties, he was active in sport and environmental work, including sailing and WWF efforts. He is survived by Queen Sonja, Haakon, Princess Märtha Louise and six grandchildren.