King Harald V of Norway died Friday at age 89 at Oslo University Hospital, the Royal Court confirmed, after an 11-day hospitalization stemming from hemolytic anemia.
According to the Royal Court’s official statement, the monarch passed away peacefully at 6:35 in the morning. The cause of death, hemolytic anemia, had worsened his condition over the preceding week.
The succession now passes to Prince Haakon, the direct heir and first in line, who will assume the crown at a moment of historical transition for the Scandinavian country.
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Harald had ascended to the throne in 1991. Despite facing recent health complications, he rejected calls or expectations to abdicate.
The late king was noted for his progressive and inclusive public discourse, exemplified in a message stating that Norwegians love across genders and hold diverse beliefs ranging from God and Allah to the Universe or nothing at all.
His reign encompassed critical national traumas, including the 2011 attacks by Anders Behring Breivik, which claimed 77 lives and marked Norway’s deadliest massacre since World War II.
Stortinget har med sorg mottatt budskapet om at Hans Majestet Kong Harald V har gått bort.
– Vi har mistet vår folkekjære konge, og hele nasjonen er i sorg. Kong Harald regjerte i tråd med valgspråket «Alt for Norge», sier stortingspresident Masud Gharahkhani. pic.twitter.com/b0tkr6F2Kl— Stortinget (@Stortinget) August 28, 2026
On the family front, his daughter Märtha Louise generated controversy earlier this year—in January—by marrying an U.S. shaman linked to investigations surrounding the Epstein case. His daughter-in-law, Mette-Marit, was also connected to Epstein, according to disclosures.
Despite these controversies surrounding his family, Harald V sustained an image of institutional stability throughout his more than three decades on the throne, widely regarded as a symbol of continuity for the Norwegian monarchy.
Stortingets presidentskap har besluttet at all utadrettet virksomhet i regi av Stortinget avlyses eller utsettes til etter gravferden til Hans Majestet Kong Harald V. Beslutningen inkluderer komitereiser, besøk og befaringer. Komiteer som eventuelt er på reise, avbryter reisen. pic.twitter.com/XMKa4sQnfR
— Stortinget (@Stortinget) August 28, 2026
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