Norway’s King Harald V died on Friday at the age of 89, ending a more than three-decade reign and ushering in the succession of his son, Crown Prince Haakon.Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 am…

Norway’s King Harald V died on Friday at the age of 89, ending a more than three-decade reign and ushering in the succession of his son, Crown Prince Haakon.Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 am local time, the royal palace said. He had been hospitalised since August 17 and was being treated for a bacterial infection in his blood.Crown Prince Haakon, 53, immediately succeeded his father as Norway’s new monarch. He is expected to take the name King Haakon VIII.Harald, who became king in 1991, was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and was widely regarded as a modernising and unifying figure. He had reduced his official engagements in recent years as his health declined but repeatedly ruled out abdication, saying his oath as king was for life.Donald Trump administration seeks to restrict internships for international studentsHaakon had increasingly taken on royal duties as his father’s health deteriorated and had served as regent on several occasions. He now inherits a monarchy facing renewed scrutiny over controversies surrounding his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her son, Marius Borg Høiby.Haakon, who studied at the University of California, Berkeley and the London School of Economics, has also been an avid surfer and sportsman. His marriage to Mette-Marit, a commoner and single mother, initially caused controversy but the couple later gained broad public acceptance.Haakon’s daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, is now heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.This version keeps the actual news peg right at the top and saves the family controversies for later, rather than making the death story feel like a biography.

Source: Deccan Herald