King Harald of Norway don die at di age of 89

King Harald V of Norway don die at di age of 89, afta dem take am to hospital last week for treatment sake of one blood condition.

Di palace for Oslo tok say e pass away peacefully by 06:35 local time on Friday for di national hospital for Oslo.

Dem don lower di royal flag for di roof of the palace to half-mast.

For di 24 hours leading to im death, members of di royal family bin visit di king and crowds don dey lay flowers for di palace.

Harald na di first king of Norway wey dem born for di kontri since di 14th Century.

Im 53-year old son Haakon don replace am, and e go hold extraordinary council of state with the government later on Friday.

Afta 35 years for di throne, Harald go dey remembered as popular and reforming figure wey modernise di monarchy, break di tradition by marrying a commoner and serve as unifying figure wen Norway dey inside im difficult moments.

Royal observers tok say e bin dey down-to-earth, and pipo love and respect am wella. Dem describe am as "grandfather" of di nation and di "king of di pipo" - title wey im papa, King Olav V, bin also use.

Afta di 2011 bomb and gun attacks for Oslo and di island of Utøya, Harald bin beg di pipo to support each other and make dem no "let fear take ova".

More recently, Harald and im family don face health challenges and scandal, especially sake of di association of im daughter-in-law Mette-Marit, wit di late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and di conviction of her son Marius Borg Høiby for rape.

During im reign, di Norwegian monarchy bicom more democratic and transparent wit dia finances and health, Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen, historian and TV2 royal correspondent, tell di BBC.

Tove Taalesen, royal tori pesin for Nettavisen, also describe di late king as "one of us", while Caroline Vagle, wey be royal expert for Se og Hør magazine, tok say e bin "always been very close to di pipo".

Wen Norway national football team return from di US afta dem make am to di World Cup quarter-finals for di first time, Harald bin welcomed dem home for di palace.

E dey survived by im wife of almost 58 years, Queen Sonja, dia daughter Princess Märtha Louise, dia son, di new King Haakon, and six grandchildren.

Brief profile

Dem born Harald on 21 February 1937 for di Skaugum estate near Oslo.

E bin dey only three years old wen dictator Adolf Hitler order Nazi Germany make dem invade during di second World War.

Harald mama run wit her children across di border to Sweden, and dem travel to di US on di invitation of President Franklin D Roosevelt.

Prince Harald later return wit im family to Norway for di end of the war and e complete im school and compulsory military service.

E bicom crown prince for 1957, and study social science, history and economics for Balliol College for Oxford from 1960 to 1962.

E meet im wife Sonja Haraldsen for one party, but e gatz wait for nine years bifor he dem allow am to marry her, bicos na daughter of one businessman.

Harald Papa, King Olav, bin dey hope say e go marry European princess, but e tell im papa say if e no allow am to marry Sonja, im go remain single, according to wetin King Harald tell one TV Norway station during interview.

Im father finally give im consent, and di couple wed for Oslo Cathedral on 29 August 1968.

Harald choice clear di way for im own two children to marry commoners too, and dat "help to bring an end to a very male-dominated Royal Family", Caroline Vagle tok.

"E no eva dey afraid to show emotion, humour or vulnerability, and dat na wetin make am veri human," di royal expert tok.

Wen im papa start to dey sick for 1990, di crown prince bicom regent. Harald den climb di throne wen Olav die on 17 January 1991.

According to historian Trond Norén Isaksen, di new king start to dey grow into di role around 2000, growing from di reserved, serious and shy man wey e be into someone wey bicom much more open and understanding.

For July 2011 Harald face im greatest challenge as king, wen neo-Nazi Anders Breivik kpai eight pipo wit a car bomb for Oslo, and den move into one youth camp for di island of Utøya, wia e shot 69 pipo die, most of dem na teenagers.

Di King give speech for TV di next day, and weeks later e give anoda speech to sympathise wit di victims and dia families as a father, grandfather, husband, and king.

E almost break into tears as e dey tok.

"I fit only imagine di depth of your pain. As King of dis nation, I feel for each and every one of you," e tok.

Looking back, historian Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen tok say: "I tink dat moment don burn into our minds wetin a monarchy suppose be."

For 2016, di king make headlines again wen e give ogbonge speech to support diversity of religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

E tok say Norwegians come from "Afghanistan, Pakistan and Poland, from Sweden, Somalia, and Syria," dem "believe in God, Allah, di Universe and nothing", and dem "be girls wey love girls, boys wey love boys, and girls and boys wey love each oda".

Di king na also beta athlete and environmentalist - e folo for one of di pipo wey initiate di Norway branch of di World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and e serve as president of dat chapter for 20 years.

E also be accomplished sailor, wey represent Norway three times for di Olympics, but for 2022, e declare say e no go compete again.

When Crown Prince Haakon marry Mette-Marit for 2001, di king and queen welcome her four-year-old son from a previous relationship.

Dem treat Marius Borg Høiby as one of di family, but di royal house later point out say e no be royal.

Di king daughter Princess Märtha Louise bin first marry one Norwegian writer bifor she later remarry in 2024 to one American self-styled shaman.

Di couple business activities eventually make her to stop her royal duties.

Even though some Norway pipo fit feel say Harald bin dey too lenient wit im family controversial life decisions, Vagle believe say e show imsef to be someone wey prefer to tok wit pesin rather dan to give harsh instructions.

As di king health dey come down, e permanently reduce im public engagement for April 2024.

More recently, King Harald bin dey treated wit cortisone for one rare blood condition, haemolytic anaemia, wey dey cause di numba of red blood cells for di body to reduce.

He enter hospital on 17 August and im son bicom regent, taking over im activities.

Dis year alone di Norwegian royal family don face plenty personal health challenges and scandals wey don make dia mata to always dey for di public.

Di rape trial of Marius Borg Høiby, wey judges for Oslo find guilty of plenty offences, bin hang ova di royal family for many months. E later appeal against im four-year jail term and e also appear for Harald bedside shortly before e die.

Days bifor di trial start, documents also come out wey show say Høiby mama, Mette-Marit, bin get frequent contact wit di late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She later apologise to King Harald and Queen Sonja for her three-year friendship wit Epstein and admit say na "poor judgement", adding say she wish say bin neva meet am.

Two days afta her son trial end, Mette-Marit do lung transplant. She bin dey diagnosed of rare form of pulmonary fibrosis eight years earlier.

Her doctors declare her stable one year afta di transplant, and King Haakon go face difficult period of succession as e continue to support her.

Di crises surrounding di monarchy don affect dia popularity. One poll for one newspaper find out say support for di monarchy don drop from 72% in 2024 to 54%.

Oda polls suggest say almost half of Norwegians believe Mette-Marit no suppose bicom queen, but Haakon dey highly likely to say she go bicom queen.

Despite dat negative sentiment towards di monarchy, Vagle tok say di criticism no dey directed to di late king personally, and she believe say "everyone love King Harald".

"Wen tins go wrong for di royal family, pipo go blame anyone but di king," historian Trond Norén Isaksen tok.

Haakon don also face questions about how di turbulence surrounding im own household fit "follow him into im position as a king", according to Tove Taalesen, but she believe say e don show leadership and e deal wit recent events well.

Di royal family main strategy na to separate diasef from Marius Borg Høiby trial, and Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen believe say dem succeed wit dat.

But even though pipo fit still dey concerend ova di Epstein files, di focus for Norway pipo now go be to remember dia "greatly beloved king" and support his son.