For the first time in more than three decades, Norway has a new king.

King Harald V died Friday at age 89, ending a reign that stretched from the final years of the Cold War into a dramatically different modern Europe. His death immediately elevated his 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, to the throne as King Haakon VIII.

Harald died at Oslo University Hospital following a period of declining health. He had recently been treated for a bacterial infection in his blood, and the Royal Palace announced Thursday that his condition had become very serious.

King Harald V of Norway.

Source: User-supplied image.

A King Whose Childhood Was Shaped by War

Born in 1937, Harald was only a young child when Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940. Harald, his mother Crown Princess Märtha and his sisters eventually fled to the United States, while his father remained closer to the Norwegian government in exile.

That childhood experience made Harald a living connection between modern Norway and one of the darkest periods in the country's history.

He eventually returned home following the war and became crown prince after the death of his grandfather, King Haakon VII.

A Royal Love Story That Challenged Tradition

Harald fell in love with Sonja Haraldsen, who was not of royal or noble birth. Their relationship faced years of resistance before the couple was finally permitted to marry in 1968.

Sonja would eventually become Queen of Norway when Harald ascended the throne following the death of his father, King Olav V, in January 1991.

35 Years on the Throne

King Harald V during his 35-year reign.

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Although Norway's monarch is a constitutional head of state rather than a political ruler, Harald became one of the country's most recognizable national figures.

His reign coincided with enormous economic and social change in Norway, including the country's emergence as one of Europe's wealthiest nations through its oil and gas industry.

Harald was also called upon during moments of national tragedy. His response following the 2011 terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utøya became one of the defining moments of his reign.

Even as his health deteriorated in later years, Harald resisted suggestions that he should abdicate. He remained king until his death.

King Haakon VIII Takes the Throne

Haakon, who succeeded his father as King Haakon VIII.

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Norway's monarchy now enters a new chapter.

Harald's son Haakon Magnus, 53, automatically became king upon his father's death. The longtime crown prince has already spent years performing royal duties and periodically serving as regent as Harald's health declined.

Unlike the British monarchy, Norway does not stage a traditional coronation. The transition includes constitutional and ceremonial events involving the government and parliament, followed by the funeral and burial of the late king.

Haakon also inherits a monarchy facing considerably more public scrutiny than the one his father inherited in 1991, including controversies surrounding members of the extended royal family.

Haakon with Mette-Marit.

Source: User-supplied image.

His daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, is now heir apparent, placing another generation directly in line for the Norwegian throne.

The End of an Era

Harald's death closes a reign lasting more than three and a half decades and a life that spanned Nazi occupation, childhood exile, Norway's postwar transformation and its emergence as one of Europe's most prosperous modern democracies.

Norway now mourns one king while beginning the reign of another.

King Harald V was 89. King Haakon VIII now carries the crown.

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