Norway’s King Harald has died at the age of 89 after more than 35 years on the throne, the Royal Palace has said.

The monarch, who had been on sick leave for several weeks, was admitted to Oslo National Hospital a week ago, with his health drastically deteriorating over the weekend.

His wife, Queen Sonja, and son, Crown Prince Haakon, had called off all royal engagements to gather at his bedside before his death on Thursday.

The king was receiving antibiotics for a bacterial blood infection and had responded to treatment, the palace said late Sunday, adding that his condition was stable.

The king suffered from numerous health issues in recent years, and was eventually fitted with a permanent pacemaker.

While refusing to abdicate, Harald was forced to make “permanent reduction” to his public engagements “out of consideration for his age” in April 2024.

He was hospitalised with an infection and dehydration in February this year during a holiday with Queen Sonja in Tenerife.

Harald became Europe’s oldest reigning monarch after the death of Queen Elizabeth. He leaves behind his wife, two children, Princess Märtha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon, and five grandchildren.

Crown Prince Haakon, 53, is the successor to the throne and has been serving as regent for his father.

King Harald was a second cousin to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, sharing the same great-grandparents in King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, who were the father and mother of Norway’s Queen Maud.

He was born in Skaugum, Norway in 1937 and spent the first three years of his life, as prince, in peaceful surroundings with his sisters until the German invasion in April 1940, according to the royal biography.

The royal family fled the country by train to avoid being taken into custody by the occupying forces, ultimately travelling to the United States by invitation of president Franklin D. Roosevelt, returning only in 1945.

After the war, Harald went to the Norwegian Cavalry Officers’ Training School and the Military Academy in Norway, completing his studies in 1959.

Between 1960 and 1962, he attended Oxford University and studied social science, history and economics.

While the king remained widely popular in Norway, his life within the monarchy was not always smooth-sailing.

In a major break with tradition, he married commoner Sonja Haraldsen in 1968 when he was still the Crown Prince.

As heir to the throne, it was expected that he would marry someone from a European royal house, and his decision sparked considerable debate. Many even predicted the fall of the monarchy as a result.

Harald was crowned in 1991 after the death of his father King Olav.

In 2017, Harald used his largely ceremonial platform to deliver an impassioned speech in favour of LGBT rights and the plight of refugees in the country.

“It is not always easy to say where we come from, to which nationality we belong. Home is where the heart is” he told an audience outside the Royal Palace in Oslo.

He said: “Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and boys and girls who love each other”.

“My biggest hope for Norway is that we will manage to take care of each other, that we can build this country further on trust, solidarity, and generosity.”