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King Harald V of Norway Dies at 89; Prince Haakon Ascends Throne

35 sources across 22 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Der Spiegel Germany · Centre-left · ~50% staff-owned
  • Sueddeutsche Zeitung Germany · Centre-left · Sudwestdeutsche Medien Holding
  • Deutsche Welle Germany · Centre · Public · German federal public-law corporation
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • MS NOW United States · Left · Versant (spun off from NBCUniversal)
  • CNN United States · Centre-left · Warner Bros. Discovery
  • Associated Press United States · Centre · Non-profit news cooperative
  • Bloomberg United States · Centre · Bloomberg L.P. (Michael Bloomberg)
  • UOL Brazil · Centre-left · Grupo Folha
  • CNN Brasil Brazil · Centre · Rubens Menin (MRV)
  • Folha de S.Paulo Brazil · Centre · Grupo Folha (Frias family)
  • The Guardian United Kingdom · Centre-left · Scott Trust Limited
  • BBC News United Kingdom · Centre · Public · Licence fee, royal charter
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • elDiarioAR Argentina · Centre-left · Newsroom-majority owned, membership funded
  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • Le Monde France · Centre-left · Fonds pour l'independance de la presse
  • France 24 France · Centre · Public · France Medias Monde (French state holding)
  • ANSA Italy · Centre · Publisher cooperative
  • Corriere della Sera Italy · Centre-right · RCS MediaGroup (Cairo Communication)
  • Politico Europe Belgium · Centre · Axel Springer SE
  • La Tercera Chile · Centre-right · Copesa (Saieh family)
  • South China Morning Post Hong Kong · Centre-right · Alibaba Group
  • Telex Hungary · Centre · Reader-funded, staff-owned
  • The Indian Express India · Centre · Indian Express Group (Goenka family)
  • The Jakarta Post Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Bina Media Tenggara
  • The Times of Israel Israel · Centre · Seth Klarman (majority backer)
  • Asahi Shimbun Japan · Centre-left · Asahi Shimbun Company (family and employee held)
  • Novaya Gazeta Europe Latvia · Centre-left · Crowdfunded; exiled Russian newsroom
  • NRC Netherlands · Centre · Mediahuis
  • Aftenposten Norway · Centre-right · Schibsted, Tinius Trust foundation
  • Dawn Pakistan · Centre-left · Pakistan Herald Publications (Haroon family)
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • Daily Maverick South Africa · Centre-left · Reader-funded
  • El Pais Spain · Centre-left · Grupo PRISA

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

King Harald V of Norway died peacefully at the National Hospital in Oslo on Friday, August 28, at 6:35 a.m. local time. He was 89 years old and was the oldest living monarch in Europe. The royal palace reported that the king had been hospitalized since August 17 for a bacterial infection in the blood. His son, the 53 year old Crown Prince Haakon, automatically became King Haakon VIII upon his father's death. King Haakon VIII immediately began his duties by holding an extraordinary session with the government cabinet to announce his royal title and adopt his father's motto, Everything for Norway.

King Harald V reigned for over three decades starting in 1991. He was widely regarded as a popular and unifying figure who modernized the monarchy. He was known for his love of sailing, having competed in several Olympics, and for his efforts to promote tolerance and openness within the royal institution. He is survived by his wife, Queen Sonja, and their children, King Haakon VIII and Princess Märtha Louise. Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, the daughter of the new king, is now the heir apparent to the throne.

The transition occurs during a period of significant turmoil for the Norwegian royal family. Queen consort Mette-Marit has faced scrutiny over her past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Additionally, her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison in June after being found guilty of rape and domestic violence, a verdict he is currently appealing. Some reports also mention that Mette-Marit recently underwent a lung transplant.

Public perception of the monarchy varies. While King Harald V remained consistently popular, some sources note that general support for the monarchy has declined recently. One poll indicated that while the late king held a very high approval rating, the new queen consort Mette-Marit received significantly lower marks from the public.

How each side framed it

Left
This outlet provided extensive biographical detail on the late king's life, including his exile during World War II and his marriage for love.
Centre-left
These outlets emphasized the contrast between the late king's popularity and the scandals currently surrounding the royal family.
Centre
These outlets focused on the king's reformist nature, his popularity, and the factual details of the succession.
Centre-right
These outlets highlighted the stability and preparedness of King Haakon VIII to lead despite the controversies involving his wife and stepson.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.