Norway's King Harald V dies and his son becomes King Haakon VIII

Stavanger, Norway - King Harald V of Norway, who spent his childhood in exile in the United States during the Nazi occupation and refused several European noblewomen in favor of marrying his school sweetheart, passed away on Friday at the age of 89. The palace confirmed his passing at 6:35 a.m. at the National Hospital in Oslo. Harald holds the record for being Europe's oldest monarch.

Despite his modernization efforts within the royal house, Harald chose not to abdicate like other aging monarchs in recent years. Upon his father's death in January 1991, Harald's son automatically ascended to the throne and is now King Haakon VIII. Like monarchies across Europe, the Norwegian monarchs hold a primarily ceremonial role while real power lies with the elected parliament representing the nation of 5.5 million citizens.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre expressed the nation's grief and profound gratitude for King Harald's long service to Norway, mourning the loss of a figure who modernized the monarchy while remaining deeply beloved by the people.