Norway’s King Harald V dies at 89, son succeeds him

OSLO, Norway — King Harald V died at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time Friday, according to the Norwegian government and Royal Court. The monarch had been hospitalized since Aug. 17 after receiving treatment for hemolytic anemia and later developed a bloodstream bacterial infection; his health had deteriorated in the days before his death. Harald, born Feb. 21, 1937, became king in January 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, and remained in the role despite recurring health problems in recent years.

Harald's reign covered a period in which Norway experienced substantial economic and social change, including the expansion of its wealth from North Sea oil and gas. He was widely associated with a more open and informal style of monarchy, while his public role was largely ceremonial under Norway's constitutional system. He also became a prominent national figure during periods of crisis, including following the 2011 attacks in Norway. Harald was born in Norway shortly before World War II and spent part of his childhood in exile in the United States after Nazi Germany occupied the country in 1940. His 1968 marriage to Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner, was initially controversial but later became an accepted part of the modern Norwegian royal family.