Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, after being admitted to hospital last week for treatment for a rare blood disorder. The Royal Palace in Oslo said he died peacefully at 06.35 local time on Friday at the National Hospital in Oslo.
Harald was the first Norwegian king born in Norway since the 14th century. He will be succeeded by his son Haakon.
After 35 years on the throne, he will be remembered as a popular and reformist ruler who modernised the monarchy, broke with tradition by marrying a commoner and served as a unifying figure during Norway’s most difficult times, the BBC reports.
Royal analysts say he was down-to-earth, respected and loved by his citizens, describing him as the “grandfather of the nation” and “the people’s king” – a title also used for his father, King Olav V.
