Published: 11:20 AM, 29 August 2026
Norway's King Harald V dies; Haakon succeeds him
Norway's King Harald V, who spent part of his childhood in exile in the United States during the Nazi occupation of his country, died Friday at the age of 89.
The Norwegian Royal Palace said Harald died at the National Hospital in Oslo at 6:35 a.m, reports AP.
Harald was Europe's oldest reigning monarch and had been on the throne since January 1991, following the death of his father, King Olav V. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, automatically succeeded him and became King Haakon VIII.
Norway's monarch has a largely ceremonial role, while political power rests with the country's elected parliament. During his more than three decades on the throne, Harald helped modernize the monarchy and became known for his close connection with the Norwegian people.
"A whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement.
"For more than three decades as monarch, Harald V demonstrated an unwavering faith in the Norwegian people. He helped us to see the best in ourselves - and in one another," he said.
Harald was born in 1937 in Asker, near Oslo, and was the first Norwegian prince to be born in Norway in centuries. He was 3 years old when Nazi Germany occupied Norway in 1940.
His mother fled with Harald and his sisters, Ragnhild and Astrid, first to Sweden and later to the United States to escape the Nazis. His father and grandfather went into exile in Britain with the Norwegian government.
The Norwegian royals spent the war years in the United States and were frequent guests at the White House. Harald carried out his first official duty at the age of 6, when he took part in the christening of Norwegian warplanes at a military base in Canada.
The family returned to Norway in June 1945 after the end of World War II.
Harald attended public schools, the Norwegian military college and Oxford University. Like his father, who was an Olympic sailing champion, Harald developed a lifelong passion for sailing.
He represented Norway at several Olympic Games and in 1987 captained his yacht to a gold medal at the World Championships.
As a young man, Harald was encouraged to marry one of Europe's princesses, but he spent nine years resisting potential royal matches because he wanted to marry his school sweetheart, Sonja Haraldsen, the daughter of a successful businessman.
King Olav eventually gave his approval, and the couple married on Aug. 29, 1968. The wedding was widely celebrated in Norway, and Sonja later became queen.
They had two children, Haakon and his older sister, Märtha Louise.
Norway amended its Constitution in 1990 to give male and female heirs equal succession rights, but the change was not retroactive. Haakon therefore remained ahead of his sister in the line of succession.
Harald became king on Jan. 21, 1991, and adopted the royal motto used by his father and grandfather: "All for Norway."
He worked to make the monarchy more modern and accessible and won widespread praise for his response to the 2011 attacks by right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks.
In 2016, Harald drew international attention with an emotional speech supporting diversity, refugees, religious tolerance and LGBTQ+ equality. The speech was widely shared on social media.
Harald faced several health problems in his later years and was hospitalized multiple times. During a 2024 trip to Malaysia, he was fitted with a pacemaker. He also received treatment for a skin infection during a holiday on Spain's Tenerife island in February 2026.
Despite his health problems, Harald repeatedly rejected calls for abdication. In January 2024, after Denmark's Queen Margrethe abdicated, he said he remained committed to the oath he had made when ascending the Norwegian throne, describing it as a lifelong commitment.
The royal family faced some controversy in Harald's final years. His daughter Märtha Louise stepped back from royal duties after controversy surrounding her claims of communicating with angels and her relationship with an American man who identifies as a shaman.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Haakon's wife, also faced scrutiny in 2026 over her connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, although she was not accused of wrongdoing. Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison.
Haakon, born in 1973, had served as regent for his father on several occasions and spent years preparing for the throne.
With Harald's death, Haakon automatically became Norway's new king. His eldest child, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is next in line to the throne.
Norway is expected to observe a period of national mourning following the death of the popular monarch.
