King Harald V of Norway Dies
Harald V held the Norwegian throne for more than 35 years.
King Harald V of Norway and his wife Sonja. Photo: AP Photo / Francisco Seco
King Harald V of Norway has died. The royal court announced the monarch's death.
Harald V passed away this morning at Oslo University Hospital, where he was receiving treatment. In recent weeks, the king's condition deteriorated sharply: he was hospitalized on August 17, and doctors later diagnosed a bacterial blood infection. The day before, the court reported that the monarch's condition was assessed as «very serious».
Harald V held the Norwegian throne for more than 35 years — he ascended the throne on January 17, 1991, after the death of his father Olav V. He was born in 1937 and became the first Norwegian prince born in the country in 567 years.
In 1968, Harald married Sonja Haraldsen, whom he had been seeing for nine years prior. The marriage of the heir to the throne to a woman of non-aristocratic origin then sparked debate about the future of the Norwegian monarchy.
The heir to the throne is Harald's son, 53-year-old Crown Prince Haakon, who had already served as regent during his father's illness.