Norway's King Harald, Europe's oldest living monarch, has died at the age of 89, the royal court announced on Friday. He had been the country's ceremonial head of state since 1991 and had always insisted he would not abdicate, saying his oath as king was for life.
The monarch had been receiving treatment for a rare blood condition, hemolytic anemia, at Oslo University Hospital since mid-August. The palace said in a statement that he passed away peacefully at the hospital on Friday, August 28, at 6:35 a.m.
Harald's condition worsened over the last few days, and his wife, Queen Sonja, and son, Prince Haakon, canceled all their engagements to be at his bedside. Haakon automatically becomes King Haakon VIII, succeeding his father as Norway's head of state. The Norwegian monarch has a largely ceremonial and representative role.
Harald, who had been king since 1991, suffered a series of health problems in recent years and had increasingly scaled back his official duties. However, he repeatedly ruled out abdicating, saying the oath he had taken on becoming king "lasts for life."
Hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside the royal palace in Oslo overnight, holding a vigil as the king's condition deteriorated. Tributes poured in from world leaders, including Britain's King Charles, who praised Harald as a "towering figure" who guided his country with "warmth and humility." Norway's prime minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere, said Harald demonstrated an "unwavering faith in the Norwegian people" and "helped us to see the best in ourselves – and in one another."
Born in 1937, Harald became Norway's first prince to be born in the country in more than 500 years. As a child, he fled Norway with his mother and sisters following the Nazi invasion in 1940, spending much of World War II in the United States.
He succeeded his father, King Olav V, in January 1991 and went on to modernize the Norwegian monarchy during more than 35 years on the throne. He was widely praised for his response to the 2011 far-right terrorist attacks that killed 77 people and later drew attention for speeches stressing tolerance, diversity and LGBTQ+ equality.
The king's death comes after a turbulent period for Norway's royal family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Haakon's wife, has faced scrutiny over her past correspondence with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was sentenced in June to four years in prison after being convicted of two rapes and dozens of other offenses, including violence against a former partner. He has appealed the verdict.
Source: www.dw.com