Norway’s King Harald V Dies at 89

Key facts

• Norway’s King Harald V died aged 89 at the national hospital in Oslo, and a period of national mourning was declared.
• He was Norway’s first king born in Norway since the 14th century and ascended to the throne on 17 January 1991, reigning for 35 years.
• He was succeeded by his son Haakon, 53, as the new King of Norway.
• Born on 21 February 1937 at Skaugum estate near Oslo, he married Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner, in Oslo Cathedral on 29 August 1968.
• He represented Norway three times at the Olympics in sailing and was one of the initiators of the Norwegian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), serving as its president for 20 years.
• After the 2011 bomb and gun attacks in Oslo and on Utøya, he appealed to Norwegians to support each other and not let fear take over.