King Harald V of Norway dies at 89
King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89, following a hospitalization last week for an illness. The Royal Palace in Oslo announced that he passed away peacefully at 6:35 AM local time on Friday at the National Hospital in Oslo. The flag on the palace roof was lowered to half-mast. The Norwegian palace issued a statement expressing deep sadness at the passing of His Majesty King Harald. King Harald V was the first Norwegian sovereign born in the country since the 14th century. His 53-year-old son, Haakon, will succeed him and is scheduled to hold an extraordinary Council of State with the government later on Friday. After a 35-year reign, King Harald V will be remembered as a popular and reformist figure who modernized the Norwegian monarchy and played a unifying role during challenging times for the Nordic nation.