Norway is in mourning following the death of King Harald V, who has died at the age of 89.
King Haakon VIII has succeeded his father to the throne.
King Harald died peacefully at the Rigshospilatet in Oslo on the August 28 2026. He was being treated for side effects for a form of anaemia and had contracted a blood infection.
King Harald V was born at Skaugum estate on 21 February 1937 and was the son of King Olav of Norway and his wife Märtha, who was Crown Princess of Norway and Princess of Sweden.
When Harald was three-years-old, Germany invaded Norway during the Second World War. This forced the royal family to flee the country. King Harald and his two sisters, Princesses Ragnhild and Astrid, were taken to Sweden with their mother, where King Harald’s grand-uncle, Gustaf V, reigned as King.
After a few weeks in Sweden, the Norwegian Royal Family was given political asylum in the United States.
When the war was over, King Harald returned to Norway. He was eight-years-old, and he was enrolled at the Norwegian school to continue his education.
King Harald’s grandfather, King Haakon VII, died in 1957. After that, he became Crown Prince and received a number of official and ceremonial duties.
Harald was a skilled athlete. From his early youth, he was interested in both skiing and sailing. He participated in the Olympic Games in sailing several times and won numerous international sailing regattas, including the World Championships in sailing in 1987.
The King married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968, and together, they had two children, the new King Haakon VIII and Princess Märtha Louise. When King Olav died in 1991, King Harald was blessed as King of Norway.
