Norwegian King Harald V, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, dies at 89

Norwegian King Harald V died on Friday at 89 after 35 years on the throne, with his son Haakon VIII becoming king.Harald was a figure of stability in a time of tremendous change and challenges in Norway, including drastic demographic change, an oil boom, and the 2011 terrorist attacks by Anders Breivik. At the time of his death, he was the oldest reigning monarch in Europe, a title he inherited after Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022 at 96. Harald was Norway’s oldest monarch in a line of monarchs stretching back over 1,150 years.“It is with deep grief that we announce that His Majesty King Harald has passed away,” Norway’s Royal Court said in a Friday statement. “King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet Friday 28 August at 6:35 AM.” Norwegian officials sent outpourings of grief and condolences to the popular royal family, extolling his accomplishments.“A whole nation is in mourning. … For more than three decades as monarch, Harald V demonstrated an unwavering faith in the Norwegian people. He helped us to see the best in ourselves — and in one another,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a statement.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her condolences and support.“For more than three decades, he served his country with warmth, humility and an unwavering sense of duty. In moments of joy and sorrow, he brought Norwegians together,” she said. “He was a true European and a lifelong servant of his people.”King Haakon VIII, 53, takes the throne automatically without a coronation, as is the procedure in Norway. He assumes the position at a time of turmoil for the royal family, following several scandals. The new king is popular among the Norwegian people, however, and has served as regent several times when his father was incapacitated due to health issues.Harald’s death severs another tie with Norway’s recent past. He fled Norway with his father, King Haakon VII, in 1940 during the German invasion of Norway. His father’s decision to refuse to give the royal blessing to Vidkun Quisling’s pro-Axis government served as a major boon to the Norwegian resistance and ensured the country remained a thorn in Adolf Hitler’s side for the duration of the war.Harald was 3 years old at the time of his exile, fleeing to safety in the United States while his father fled to the United Kingdom to lead the government-in-exile.Harald was unusual among monarchs for his openly liberal stances, including public pleas for the acceptance of refugees and immigrants, LGBT rights, and other progressive social causes. He had little real power, however, with that residing in Norway’s parliament.WHY THE NORDICS ARE EMERGING AS THE WORLD’S AI INFRASTRUCTURE SUPERPOWERKing Haakon VIII has adopted his father’s motto as his own: “Alt for Norge,” meaning “All for Norway.”His daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, has become the first female heir to the Norwegian throne since Queen Margaret’s death in 1412.