Inauguration of "Haakon VIII" as King of Norway, succeeding his late father Harald V
Norway’s King Harald V, Europe’s oldest monarch, has died at the age of 89, the royal palace announced, with his son Crown Prince Haakon (53) automatically succeeding him to the throne as King Haakon VIII. In a statement, the palace said, “With deep sorrow, we mourn the passing of His Majesty King Harald, who died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 6:35 a.m. local time.” The national flag was lowered at the royal palace, and a national period of mourning was declared, according to the Associated Press.
Upon the transfer of power to the new king, his eldest daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, became Crown Princess and heir presumptive to the Norwegian throne, in accordance with a 1990 constitutional amendment that grants succession rights to the eldest child.
In a condolence statement, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre mourned the late king, saying, “An entire nation is in mourning, and the people of Norway feel deep gratitude for a long life spent in service to the country.” Støre added that the late King Harald V had demonstrated steadfast faith in the Norwegian people for more than 30 years, serving as an inspiration for everyone to “draw out the best in themselves and in others.”
King Harald had been hospitalized since August 17, suffering from hemolytic anemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them, leading to fatigue and shortness of breath. Members of the royal family had visited him on Thursday after the palace announced his condition was “critical.” His wife, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and his wife Mette-Marit, and their adult children spent most of Thursday by the late king’s bedside.
King Harald, who ascended the Norwegian throne in 1991, had faced various health issues in recent years, which led to the implantation of a pacemaker and a reduction in his official duties. However, he consistently ruled out abdicating, emphasizing that he had taken an oath for life before the Norwegian Parliament.
