Norway’s King Harald V dies at 89 and his son becomes King Haakon VIII

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) – King Harald V of Norway. This person went into exile in the United States as a child during the Nazi occupation of his homeland and refused a string of potential brides from the European nobility so he could.

Key points

• Harald was crowned after his British-born father, King Olav V, died in January 1991, and reigned during an oil-and-gas-driven economic boom in his country.
• The palace remarked he died at the National Hospital in Oslo at 6: 35 a.m.
• The popular king modernized the royal house but refused to follow in the footsteps of other aging monarchs who have abdicated in recent times.

What happened

For context, the palace remarked he died at the National Hospital in Oslo at 6: 35 a.m.

Harald was Europe's oldest monarch. The popular king modernized the royal house but refused to follow in the footsteps of other aging monarchs who have abdicated in recent times. His son automatically became King Haakon VIII.

Like other royal houses in Europe, the Norwegian monarchs serve a largely symbolic role, enjoying celebrity status while real power in the democracy of 5.5 million rests with an elected parliament. Harald was crowned after his British-born father, King Olav V, died in January 1991, and reigned during an oil-and-gas-driven economic boom in his country.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around norway's King Harald V dies at 89 and his son becomes King point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.