Norway’s King Harald V has died at age 89, the Oslo palace says. The palace statement says he dies peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28 at 6:35 a.m., triggering the succession of his son, Crown Prince Haakon.
As Haakon becomes the next king, recent attention centers on Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s past associations. Multiple reports say she corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein, the late U.S. sex offender, between 2011 and 2014, including after Epstein was convicted. This detail has contributed to renewed public debate over the monarchy’s ties and the extent to which the family’s private contacts should affect perceptions of leadership.
