Norway's King Harald, Europe's oldest living monarch, died at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28, aged 89, the royal palace said.
Harald, who reigned for more than three decades, was taken to hospital on August 17 and was being treated for a bacterial infection in his blood.
Following his death, Crown Prince Haakon became Norway's king. The new monarch will formally inform the government of his father's death at an extraordinary Council of State, attended by the full cabinet.
Oslo Palace lowered its flag to half-mast following the announcement. Norway will observe several days of national mourning ahead of Harald's funeral at Oslo Cathedral.
Harald will be laid to rest alongside his ancestors in the royal mausoleum at Akershus Fortress, the 13th-century castle overlooking Oslo's harbour.
Norway will then usher in its new king through a series of formal but low-key events, reflecting the country's egalitarian approach to its monarchy. Unlike Britain and some other monarchies, Norway is not expected to stage elaborate royal pageantry.
A great-great-grandchild of Britain's Queen Victoria, Harald became king in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V. Over the years, he introduced modern touches to the largely ceremonial role and emerged from the shadow of his widely admired father.
