The royal palace of Norway has announced that King Harald V of Norway has died aged 89.
The royal palace said he died at the National Hospital in Oslo on Friday at 6:35am. Harald was Europe’s oldest monarch.
The popular king modernised the royal house but refused to follow in the footsteps of other aging monarchs who have abdicated in recent times.
His son now automatically becomes King Haakon VIII.
Harald had been in hospital since August 17 receiving treatment for a blood condition.
The royal household said on Thursday that his condition had become "extremely serious".
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