King Harald V of Norway died Friday at the age of 89, concluding a 35-year reign. His son, Haakon VIII, has been proclaimed the new monarch.
Harald V, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, passed away at his residence. His death was confirmed by the Royal House of Norway. Haakon VIII, the heir apparent, now assumes the Norwegian throne.
Haakon VIII, the only son of Harald V and Queen Sonja, pursued political science at the University of California, Berkeley, earning a BA in 1999. He married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, who was not of royal birth and a single mother, in 2001. The couple have two children: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born in 2004, and Prince Sverre Magnus, born a year later. Mette-Marit's eldest son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was recently convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison.
In recent years, Queen Mette-Marit has faced health challenges. In 2018, she was diagnosed with a chronic lung disease, described by the palace as an unusual variant of fibrosis. In July, she underwent a lung transplant and shared a statement expressing profound gratitude for the procedure, calling it "the gift of life."