Norway's King Harald V has died at the age of 89 after being hospitalized last week for treatment of a rare blood disorder.
The Royal Palace in Oslo said Harald died peacefully at 6:35 a.m. local time on Friday at the National Hospital in the Norwegian capital. The royal flag above the palace was lowered to half-mast following his death.
Members of the royal family had visited the king during the final 24 hours of his life, while people gathered outside the palace to lay flowers in his memory.
Harald, who had reigned for 35 years, is succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Haakon. He was Norway's first monarch born in the country since the 14th century and became widely known as a popular and modernizing king who helped make the monarchy more open and less formal.
He was often described by royal observers as a down-to-earth and deeply respected figure, with some calling him the nation's "grandfather" or the "People's king," a title previously associated with his father, King Olav V.
