Norway’s King Harald V dead at 89, his son succeeds as Haakon VIII
King Harald V of Norway has passed away at the age of 89, leading to the succession of his son, King Haakon VIII. The late monarch was known for modernizing the royal house and serving for over three decades during a period of economic prosperity.
Why it matters
The death of a long-reigning monarch is a significant historical event that marks a transition in national leadership and royal tradition.
King Harald V of Norway , who went into exile in the United States as a child during the Nazi occupation of his homeland and refused a string of potential brides from the European nobility so he could marry his school sweetheart, died Friday. He was 89.
The palace said he died at the National Hospital in Oslo at 6:35 a.m.
Harald was Europe’s oldest monarch. The popular king modernized the royal house but refused to follow in the footsteps of other aging monarchs who have abdicated in recent times. His son automatically became King Haakon VIII.
For more than three decades, King Harald V served Norway with a deep sense of duty. Today, I join the people of Norway in mourning his passing. On behalf of Canadians, I extend my deepest condolences to Queen Sonja, the Royal Family, and the people of Norway.…
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