King Charles Pays Tribute to ‘Dear Cousin’ King Harald V

Key Points

• King Harald V of Norway, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 06:35 local time on Friday, 28 August, aged 89.
• Harald was admitted to hospital on 17 August for treatment of a rare blood infection and had been king for more than 35 years since 1991.
• King Charles called Harald his “dear cousin” and sent his “deepest and most heartfelt condolences” to Queen Sonja and the Norwegian royal family.
• Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre led national tributes, saying Norway was left with “a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway.”
• Harald was succeeded automatically, without a coronation, by his son, now King Haakon VIII, while Princess Ingrid Alexandra became heir to the throne.
• Harald fled to the United States as a child during the Nazi occupation of Norway and later broke royal convention by marrying his school sweetheart, Sonja Haraldsen.
• Harald was widely credited with modernising the Norwegian monarchy and became a unifying figure after the 2011 Utøya massacre, in which 77 people were killed.
• The succession comes as the Norwegian royal family faces strain, including the rape conviction of Marius Borg Høiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son, and controversy involving Princess Märtha Louise.
• Flowers have been laid outside the royal palace in Oslo, where the flag has been lowered to half-mast.

OSLO (Britain Today News) August 28, 2026 — King Charles has extended his “deepest and most heartfelt condolences” to the Norwegian royal family following the death of King Harald V, describing the Scandinavian monarch as his “dear cousin” after Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday morning, aged 89.

Who Was King Harald V of Norway?

Harald was born in 1937 at the royal estate of Skaugum, becoming the first Norwegian prince born on home soil in nearly 570 years. He was the son of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha, and the grandson of King Haakon VII, Norway’s first monarch after independence from Sweden in 1905. Harald ascended to the throne on 17 January 1991, following the death of his father, and went on to reign for 35 years, becoming Europe’s oldest living monarch. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Queen Sonja, their two children, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s husband and heir Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise, and five grandchildren.

How and When Did King Harald V Die?

According to a statement from the Royal House of Norway, Harald died at 06:35 local time on Friday at the National Hospital in Oslo, where he had been receiving treatment since being admitted on 17 August for a bacterial blood infection. Members of the royal family visited him in the days before his death, and members of the public had already begun laying flowers outside the palace. The royal flag above the palace in Oslo has since been lowered to half-mast as the country enters a period of national mourning.

How Did King Charles Pay Tribute to King Harald V?

In a personal message released through Buckingham Palace, King Charles wrote:

“It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway.”

He went on to say that, for 35 years, Harald had

“served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.”

The King added that his “whole family” would remember Harald as a “much-loved kinsman and friend”, praising his “kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty”. He closed his tribute by extending the “deepest and most heartfelt condolences” of himself and Queen Camilla to Queen Sonja and the wider Norwegian royal family, noting that Britain shared in

“Norway’s grief at this time of such heartbreaking loss”.

What Did Norway’s Prime Minister Say About King Harald’s Death?

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre led his country’s official tributes. In a statement, he said:

“A whole nation is in mourning, and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway.”

He continued:

“For more than three decades as monarch, Harald V demonstrated an unwavering faith in the Norwegian people. He helped us to see the best in ourselves — and in one another.”

Speaking separately during a government meeting on Friday morning, Støre said that Norway was experiencing both sadness and gratitude, and confirmed that Crown Prince Haakon had automatically become King upon his father’s death, remarking that the country now had “a new king in King Haakon”.

How Did Other European Royals and Leaders React?

Tributes poured in from across Europe on Friday. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, a close friend of Harald’s for decades, said in a statement that Harald had

“been a good friend to me, my family, and to Sweden”

and that he was

“now mourned by many in our country”.

He also wished his godson, King Haakon, “success and good fortune” in his new role.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also offered her condolences, describing Harald as a “true European” who had served his country with “warmth, humility and an unwavering sense of duty”. Church bells were due to ring across Norway for an hour at midday on Friday in his memory.

What Family Ties Did King Harald Share With the British Royal Family?

King Harald and King Charles were second cousins once removed, connected through Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, who were Harald’s great-grandparents. Harald’s grandmother, Princess Maud of Wales, was a daughter of Edward VII who became Queen of Norway after marrying Prince Carl of Denmark, later King Haakon VII. Harald was also a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria and shared a close, decades-long friendship with the late Queen Elizabeth II. In his tribute, King Charles noted that the United Kingdom and Norway share “particularly close historical and family ties”, recalling that Britain was among the first nations to recognise Norwegian independence in 1905, and that the bond between the two countries deepened further during the Second World War.

How Did King Harald Modernise the Norwegian Monarchy?

Harald was just three years old when Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940, forcing him to flee with his mother and sisters, first to Sweden and then to the United States, while his grandfather King Haakon VII and father Crown Prince Olav led Norway’s government in exile from Britain. He returned to Norway in 1945 following Germany’s surrender.

As a young man, Harald broke with royal convention by refusing, for nine years, to marry a bride from European nobility, insisting instead on marrying his school sweetheart, Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner and the daughter of a businessman. Despite his father’s initial concerns that the marriage could weaken the young monarchy, the couple wed in 1968 to public jubilation, and Sonja was later embraced as queen. The Norwegian constitution was later amended in 1990 to allow the eldest child, regardless of gender, to take precedence in the line of succession.

What Role Did King Harald Play After the 2011 Utøya Attack?

Harald became a defining, steadying presence for Norway during some of its darkest moments. His most significant public role came in 2011, after a far-right gunman killed 77 people, many of them teenagers, in bomb and gun attacks in Oslo and on the island of Utøya. In the aftermath, Harald became an outspoken defender of tolerance and diversity and helped lead the country’s collective mourning, cementing his reputation as a unifying figure across Norwegian society.

Who Succeeds King Harald as King of Norway?

Under Norwegian law, the succession is automatic and requires no coronation. Harald’s son, Crown Prince Haakon, 53, became King upon his father’s death and is expected to reign as King Haakon VIII. His wife, Mette-Marit, becomes Queen Consort, while their daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, now becomes heir to the Norwegian throne.
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What Scandals Have Challenged the Norwegian Royal Family in Recent Years?

Harald’s death and Haakon’s accession arrive at what has been described as a turbulent period for Norway’s royal family, which has faced a series of controversies in recent years.

What Happened in the Marius Borg Høiby Case?

Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship before her marriage to Haakon, was tried at Oslo District Court earlier this year on 40 criminal counts, including four charges of rape. In June, presiding judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad delivered the unanimous verdict of a three-judge panel, finding Høiby guilty of two of the four rape charges, along with domestic violence and drug offences, while acquitting him of two other rape counts. He was sentenced to four years in prison. Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø, who had sought a longer sentence, said the outcome was “a victory for our justice system”, adding that.

“no one can get away with serious criminal acts based on who they are or who they are related to.”

Høiby’s defence lawyer, Petar Sekulic, said his client intended to appeal the parts of the verdict relating to the rape convictions. Høiby holds no royal title and is outside the line of succession.

What Is the Controversy Surrounding Princess Märtha Louise?

Harald’s daughter, Princess Märtha Louise, stepped back from official royal duties in 2022 following scrutiny over her relationship with, and subsequent marriage to, Durek Verrett, an American who describes himself as a shaman and healer. The princess, fourth in line to the throne, retained her title but agreed with her parents that she would no longer represent the royal household, in an effort, she said, “to create peace around the royal household”. The couple later faced further criticism in Norway over commercial ventures, including wedding photo and film rights deals, that some in the Norwegian press argued were at odds with royal tradition.

What Happens Next for Norway and the Royal Family?

Norway now enters a formal period of national mourning, with further details of King Harald’s funeral expected to be announced by the palace in the coming days. Attention will also turn to how King Haakon VIII manages the monarchy’s public standing following the recent controversies, at a time when opinion polls have shown a softening, though still substantial, level of public support for the institution. For now, Norwegians and royal watchers across Europe, including in Britain, are focused on remembering a king who, in the words of King Charles, served with “kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty” across more than three decades on the throne.