Norway’s King Harald V dies, succeeded by son

What the report says

Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, according to an announcement from the Royal Palace in Oslo cited by Al Jazeera. The palace said he died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital after recently being hospitalized with a rare blood disorder. Harald was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, is now the new monarch and is expected to reign as King Haakon VIII.

Al Jazeera reported that members of the royal family had visited Harald shortly before his death, and that people gathered outside the palace to leave flowers after officials said his condition had become extremely serious. The king had been hospitalized on Aug. 17 with haemolytic anaemia, a condition that can cause fatigue and shortness of breath. He had also faced other health problems in recent years, including a pacemaker and a reduced public schedule.

Harald became king in 1991 after the death of his father, Olav V, and had long said he would not abdicate. The article also noted that he was the first Norwegian-born king in centuries and that he was widely remembered for his public response after the 2011 attacks in Norway. More broadly, the succession marks a change for a monarchy that has remained a central symbol in Norwegian public life.