News Investigators/ Norway’s King Harald V, who served as the country’s ceremonial head of state for more than three decades, has died at the age of 89.
The Royal Palace said Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time (4:35 a.m. GMT) on Friday.
The king had been admitted to hospital on Aug. 17 and was receiving treatment for a bacterial infection in his blood.
Harald, who was Europe’s oldest living monarch, had suffered health challenges in recent years.
In 2024, he was hospitalised after contracting an infection while on holiday in Malaysia, where he was fitted with a temporary pacemaker.
He was later flown back to Norway by the Norwegian armed forces and fitted with a permanent pacemaker.
Harald became king in 1991, succeeding his father, King Olav V.
In 2024, he announced that he would scale back his official engagements due to his health but ruled out abdication.
He said his oath as king was for life.
Harald’s death comes at a challenging period for the Norwegian royal family.
NAN
