King Harald V dead: Norway’s monarch dies aged 89 after long health battle saw beloved royal forced to take ‘sick leave’

NORWAY’S King Harald V has died at the age of 89 after spending his final few days in hospital in an “extremely serious” condition. King Harald was Europe’s oldest living monarch and had been on the throne since 1991 but was put on royal “sick leave” earlier this month after falling ill with a blood disorder. Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89 Credit: AFP Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II poses with King Harald at the Royal Palace in Oslo in May, 2001 Credit: Reuters Flowers laid at Palace Square in front of the Royal Palace in Oslo Credit: EPA The King with Queen Sonja in May, 2023 Credit: Getty The Royal House’s website reads: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away peacefully at the National Hospital on Friday, August 28, at 6.35am.” The palace confirmed this morning his son has now become King Haakon VIII after he served as regent while Harald was on leave. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! King Harald had been treated in recent weeks with cortisone for a rare blood condition called haemolytic anaemia. It causes the number of red blood cells in the body to be reduced, and leads to fatigue and shortness of breath. King Harald seen using two crutches in March, 2026, as he walks alongside King Philippe of Belgium on an official state visit Credit: AFP Well- wishershaves offered prayers during a night vigil for King Harald V on August 27 Credit: AFP Harald’s family had all arrived at Oslo University Hospital yesterday after cancelling royal engagements so they could be by Harald’s bedside. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had even cancelled a planned trip to Germany to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz. After news of the king’s death, Støre paid tribute saying: “A whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway. “For more than three decades as monarch, Harald V demonstrated an unwavering faith in the Norwegian people. Most read in The Sun “He helped us to see the best in ourselves and in one another. “My thoughts and deepest sympathy are with the Queen and the entire Royal Family at this difficult time.” Hundreds of floral tributes for the late King have already been laid in Palace Square, in front of the palace in Oslo. King Harald had been in and out of hospital several times in recent years. From left to right: King Harald, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Sonja and Prince Philip at a state banquet at Holyrood Castle, Edinburgh in 1994 Credit: Reuters Queen Elizabeth with King Harald during a state visit to Edinburgh in 1994 Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Earlier this year, he was taken in for urgent medical care in Tenerife after falling ill on holiday. The palace said at the time: “The King is being treated for an infection and dehydration, and his condition is, under the circumstances, good.” He was previously hospitalised in 2024 for an infection while on holiday in Malaysia where he received a temporary pacemaker. He was later transferred to Norway where a permanent device was implanted. Crown Prince Haakon has been serving as regent while Harald was on leave with his partner Crown Princess Mette- Marit of Norway also in and out of hospital this year Credit: Getty Russian President Boris Yeltsin and King Harald back in 1996 Credit: Reuters In April of that year, Norway’s royal household said the king would make a “permanent reduction” to his public engagements. The move was done “out of consideration for his age”. King Harald’s reign was credited as an era of modernisation and reform for Norway. He had been married to Queen Sonja for almost 60 years with the royal couple making it their mission to connect more with both the public and the media. The couple shared two children, Princess Martha Loise and new King Haakon. Before his death King Harald was even still technically in the line of succession to the British Royal Family. He was the great-grandson of Edward VII and his godparents included Queen Mary and her son George VI – who were the late Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother and father. The late ruler was just three years old when Germany invaded Norway in World War Two. All of the royals were forced to flee the country as Harald and his two sisters, Princesses Ragnhild and Astrid, were taken to Sweden. They were later given political asylum in the United States where they stayed for five years until it was safe to return. In the years before he became king, Harald was a budding athlete and even a multi-time Olympian. He was a skilled sailor and won numerous international regattas, including the World Championships in sailing in 1987. The royal standard above the Oslo palace has been lowered to half-mast as a symbol of Harald’s death. New King Haakon VIII is expected to make his first public appearance as the new monarch shortly. He is married to Queen Mette-Marit who has spent years suffering with pulmonary fibrosis which caused her to undergo a lung transplant earlier this year. Comment now