King Harald V of Norway, Europe’s oldest monarch, has died at the age of 89. The royal palace announced on Friday that the king passed away in an Oslo hospital following a short illness. He had been hospitalized since August 17 with haemolytic anaemia and later developed a bacterial blood infection, with his condition described as very serious on August 27.
Having served as Norway's ceremonial head of state since 1991, King Harald was a reformer known for his simplicity and humility. He was the first monarch born in Norway in nearly six centuries and emerged from the shadow of his well-loved father over more than three decades on the throne. During his childhood, he went into exile in the United States during the Nazi occupation of his homeland. He was also noted for refusing a string of European noblewomen to marry his school sweetheart. Throughout his reign, he insisted he would not abdicate, stating his oath as king was for life.
Following the death of King Harald V, his son has automatically become King Haakon VIII. He will be Norway’s fourth king since the country gained independence from Sweden in 1905, with Mette-Marit as his queen.