King Harald V of Norway died at 89 on Aug. 28, and his son Crown Prince Haakon automatically succeeded him as King Haakon VIII, according to the Royal Palace and the BBC. Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time (04:35 GMT), as confirmed in a statement from the palace.

Health Decline and Public Reaction

Harald had been receiving treatment for a rare blood condition since last week, as reported by the BBC. He had been hospitalized since August 17 due to a blood infection, and the palace announced on Thursday that his condition was “very serious.” The royal family, including Queen Sonja, who is also 89, gathered at the hospital. Crown Prince Haakon canceled all his engagements on Thursday to be with his father.

Crowds gathered at the royal palace in Oslo to lay flowers and flags, as reported by the BBC. Norway has declared a period of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and a funeral salute of 21 shots from Akershus Fortress in central Oslo.

Legacy and Tributes

Harald was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and Norway’s head of state since 1991; he remained true to his oath, “Alt for Norge” (Everything for Norway), until the end of his life, according to the Kronen Zeitung. He had been a beloved and long-reigning monarch in Norway’s modern history and never abdicated.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told the BBC that the country was “united in grief and gratitude,” while Reuters quoted him as saying, “A whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway.”

European royals and political leaders paid tribute to Harald, including Britain’s King Charles, who said in a CNN account that Harald was a “friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades.”

Succession and Immediate Response

Crown Prince Haakon, 53, kept vigil at his father’s bedside and assumed the throne immediately after his death, as is customary in Norway; Haakon met government ministers for an extraordinary council of state before formally taking on the royal family’s motto, “All for Norway,” according to the BBC.

Harald had gone into exile in the United States as a child during the Nazi occupation of Norway, as reported by the Associated Press, though he returned after the war and became a symbol of national resilience and unity. His death marks the end of a 52-year reign, and his son now leads Norway into a new chapter of its royal history.