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Norway's King Harald V dies at 89; Crown Prince Haakon ascends throne

From El Comercio · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • King Harald V of Norway died Friday at age 89 in Oslo, with his son Crown Prince Haakon automatically becoming the new head of state.
  • The royal house announced Harald died peacefully at Oslo's National Hospital after being admitted for anemia, which later developed into a severe blood infection.
  • Norway has entered a period of national mourning for the popular monarch, who reigned from 1991 and was Europe's longest-reigning king.

King Harald V of Norway died Friday at age 89 in Oslo, marking the end of a long and popular reign. His passing automatically elevated his son, Crown Prince Haakon, to become the new head of state, ushering in a period of national mourning.

Dear King, our Harald. Thank you for all the good and difficult moments.

— CitizenA message left by a citizen at the Royal Palace plaza in tribute to King Harald V.

The Royal House of Norway confirmed Harald died peacefully at 6:35 a.m. local time at the National Hospital of Oslo. He had been admitted on August 17 for anemia, but his condition worsened over the weekend, leading to a severe blood infection. By Thursday, the Royal House had announced his condition was "very serious."

Hundreds of Norwegians gathered at the Royal Palace plaza on Thursday to express support for the king, with thousands more joining on Friday. They left flowers and messages, with one note reading, "Dear King, our Harald. Thank you for all the good and difficult moments."

placidly

— Royal House of NorwayDescribing the manner of King Harald V's death in a statement.

Harald V ascended the throne in 1991 and maintained significant popularity, with his approval rating exceeding 70%. The royal flag flew at half-mast until noon on Friday before returning to full height, accompanied by a mourning flag on the balcony, following Haakon's extraordinary Council of State meeting with the government.

very grave

— Royal House of NorwayDescribing King Harald V's condition shortly before his death.

Churches across the country rang their bells, and the Armed Forces fired 21-gun salutes. The government declared a period of national mourning to continue until after the funeral. Haakon, 53, immediately became king and announced he would reign as Haakon VIII, adopting the motto "Everything for Norway," used by his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. The new king thanked the Norwegian people for their support and compassion. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that "an entire nation is united in grief and gratitude" and expressed confidence in the new monarch. Støre also announced Haakon's wife will be known as Queen Mette-Marit, and their 22-year-old daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, is now the Crown Princess. "An era has ended. A new one begins. The king is dead. Long live the king!" the prime minister concluded.

Everything for Norway

— King Haakon VIIIThe motto adopted by the new king, previously used by his father and ancestors.
About this summary

Originally published by El Comercio in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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