NATO, EU send condolences as King Charles mourns cousin Harald

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Britain’s King Charles III, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday mourned the death of Norway’s King Harald V, paying tribute to a monarch who served his country with dedication, warmth and humility for more than three decades.

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King Harald died on Friday aged 89, with his 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, automatically succeeding him on the Norwegian throne.n

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Charles described Harald as his “dear cousin” and a “towering figure” who guided Norway through times of great change.

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“It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway,” the British monarch said in a statement shortly after the Norwegian palace announced the death.

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“For 35 years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.”

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Charles, who personally signed the statement “Charles R”, said his family would remember Harald as a “much-loved kinsman and friend”.

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“As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades,” he said.

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PUNCH Online had reported earlier that the monarch was hospitalised after a medical examination, with Crown Prince Haakon taking over as Regent for two weeks.n

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Charles and Harald were second cousins once removed, both being descendants of Britain’s King Edward VII.

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The British monarch also highlighted the close historical and family ties between Britain and Norway, noting that Britain was among the first countries to recognise Norwegian independence and establish diplomatic relations with the country in 1905.

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“These special bonds were even further strengthened during the dreadful trials of the Second World War and helped to bind our two countries together,” Charles said.

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Rutte, meanwhile, described Harald as a “dedicated leader”, highlighting his military background and close relationship with the NATO alliance.

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“He showed himself to be a dedicated leader,” the NATO chief said in a post online.

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“His own military roots made him a champion of the Norwegian military and a long-time friend of NATO,” he added.

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Von der Leyen also paid tribute to Harald, saying he served Norway with the same qualities highlighted by Charles and Rutte.

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“King Harald served his country with warmth, humility and an unwavering sense of duty,” the European Commission president said.

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“He was a true European and a lifelong servant of his people,” she added.

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Harald became Norway’s king in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, and reigned for more than 35 years.

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His death brings to an end one of Europe’s longest modern royal reigns and marks the beginning of the reign of Crown Prince Haakon, 53.

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The Norwegian royal palace announced Harald’s death on Friday, bringing an end to a reign during which the monarch became a popular and unifying figure in Norwegian public life.

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AFP

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