Norway's King Harald V dies at 89

OSLO, Norway — King Harald V of Norway died on Monday at the age of 89, the Royal Palace in Oslo announced. The king passed away at 06:35 local time at the National Hospital in the capital, where he had been receiving treatment. Harald had recently been hospitalized with a rare blood disease. Members of the royal family visited him in his final hours, and Norwegians laid flowers outside the palace to express their grief. Born in 1937, Harald became the first Norwegian-born king since the 14th century when he ascended the throne 35 years ago. He broke with tradition by marrying a commoner and addressed the nation following the 2011 attacks in Oslo and Utøya. His son, Prince Haakon, is now the heir to the throne. Royal historian Oli-Jørgen Schytz-Hansen said Harald had made the monarchy more transparent on financial and health matters.