Norway’s King Harald V dies at 89 and his son becomes king
Summary
King Harald V of Norway died at the age of 89. His son, Haakon, became King Haakon VIII following his death. King Harald was Norway’s oldest monarch and was known for modernizing the royal family while serving in a mostly ceremonial role.Key Facts
- King Harald V died at 6:35 a.m. at the National Hospital in Oslo.
- He was born in 1937 in Asker, Norway, and was the first Norwegian prince born in Norway since 1370.
- His family escaped to the United States during World War II to avoid Nazi capture.
- Harald became king in 1991 after his father, King Olav V, passed away.
- Norway’s royal family has mostly symbolic duties, with real power resting in an elected parliament.
- Harald was an Olympic sailor and loved the sea, winning a world championship in yachting in 1987.
- He married his high school sweetheart, Sonja Haraldsen, in 1968, despite pressure to marry a European princess.
- His son Haakon automatically took the throne as King Haakon VIII after Harald’s death.
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