Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, the Royal Palace announced on Friday.
Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35am local time on August 28, according to the palace.
His 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, automatically succeeds him as king. He is expected to reign as King Haakon VIII.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today,” the palace said.
Flags at the Royal Palace in Oslo were lowered to half-mast as Norway began mourning the monarch, who had reigned since 1991 and was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch.
Harald had been hospitalised in Oslo since August 17 while receiving treatment for hemolytic anemia. His condition deteriorated in his final days, with the palace describing it as “extremely serious” on Thursday.
Members of the royal family, including Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, had gathered at his bedside as his condition worsened.
Harald had experienced several health challenges in recent years, including infections and the fitting of a pacemaker. Despite his declining health and reduced official schedule, he repeatedly ruled out abdication, saying his oath as king was for life.
Harald’s death comes at a difficult period for the Norwegian royal family.
In February, the king was hospitalised while on a private trip to Tenerife with Queen Sonja after suffering an infection and dehydration. Queen Sonja, also 89, was briefly hospitalised in May over heart problems.
The family has also faced scrutiny over Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s past correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which became public following the release of documents in the United States.
