King Harald V of Norway dies at 89

King Harald V of Norway, a popular monarch who helped bring the royal family closer to ordinary people, has died at the age of 89.

The king died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. Friday, the Norwegian Royal House announced.

His son immediately succeeded him as King Haakon VIII.

Harald had been Norway’s king since 1991 and was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch. Despite suffering several health problems in recent years, he repeatedly ruled out stepping aside, saying the oath he had taken “lasts for life.”

And it did.

For Norwegians in Cyprus, whether they have made the island their home, spend their winters here or return each year for the sun, his death marks the loss of a familiar and reassuring figure who represented Norway for more than three decades.

A childhood shaped by war

Harald’s life began under extraordinary circumstances.

Born in 1937, he was just 3 years old when Nazi Germany invaded Norway during World War II. His mother fled with Harald and his two sisters, first to Sweden and later to the United States, while his father and grandfather joined Norway’s government in exile in Britain.

The young prince became a frequent visitor to the White House and carried out his first official duty at the age of 6, christening Norwegian warplanes at an air base in Canada.

He returned to Norway with his family in 1945, after the war ended. He later attended public schools, trained at Norway’s military academy and studied at Oxford University.

The prince who chose love

Harald’s private life also helped change Norway’s monarchy.

As heir to the throne, he was expected to marry into another European royal family. Instead, he waited nine years for permission to marry Sonja Haraldsen, the daughter of a businessman and the woman he had loved since their school days.

Harald reportedly made it clear that if he could not marry Sonja, he would not marry anyone.

His father, King Olav V, eventually gave his approval, and the couple married in 1968. Far from weakening the monarchy, the love story won over the Norwegian public. Sonja later became one of the country’s most respected royal figures.

The couple had two children, Princess Märtha Louise and Haakon, Norway’s new king.

A king happiest at sea

Harald shared another passion many people in Cyprus will understand: sailing.

Following in the wake of his father, an Olympic sailing champion, Harald represented Norway at several Olympic Games. He also skippered his yacht to victory in the 1987 world championships.

But his strongest legacy may be the way he spoke to Norwegians during difficult moments.

After a far-right extremist killed 77 people in Norway in 2011, Harald delivered an emotional message defending freedom, democracy and an open society.

In another widely shared speech in 2016, he spoke plainly about refugees, religious differences and LGBTQ+ equality, describing Norway as a country belonging to people of many backgrounds, beliefs and ways of life.

It was the kind of message that made him feel less like a distant royal and more like the calm voice of a nation.

Harald leaves behind Queen Sonja, his two children and grandchildren. He also leaves Norway’s monarchy facing a new chapter under King Haakon VIII, without the man who spent 35 years quietly steering it through a changing world.

*With information from AP News