Norway mourns as King Harald V dies aged 89

Norway has entered a period of national mourning following the death of King Harald V at the age of 89. The Norwegian royal court confirmed that the monarch passed away peacefully at Oslo's Rikshospitalet at 06:35 local time on Friday. Europe's oldest reigning monarch had been hospitalized for treatment of hemolytic anemia, a rare blood condition, alongside a bacterial infection.

Members of the royal family gathered at the hospital prior to his passing as citizens assembled outside the palace in Oslo, where flags were lowered to half-mast. Tributes poured in from foreign monarchs, including King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who expressed deep sadness over his passing. Upon King Harald's death, Crown Prince Haakon automatically acceded to the Norwegian throne.

Sources: BBC News, Berlingske, France24, ORF, The Local Sweden