BREAKING NEWS: BBC Breakfast issues heartbreaking de@th announcement minutes into show
Charlie Stayt delivered the devastating news at the top of the morning headlines.
BBC Breakfast ground to a halt to issue a devastating de@th announcement (Image: BBC)
BBC Breakfast issued a tragic de@th announcement minutes into the show as presenters Sarah Campbell and Charlie Stayt brought the programme to a standstill. On Friday morning (August 28), the dynamic duo returned to the airwaves to deliver the latest news hitting the headlines. But moments into the early morning show, the 64-year-old veteran broadcaster announced the de@th of Norway’s King Harald V, aged 89.
He told viewers: “Norway’s King Harald has d!ed at the age of 89 after he was taken to the hospital last week for treatment for a rare blood condition. The country’s royal palace has said he passed away peacefully this morning in Oslo. He was Norway’s first King born in Norway since the 14th century, and he’ll be succeeded by his son, Haakon, 53.”
Shortly after the news hit the airwaves, viewers flocked to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their condolences online. One user penned: “An athlete, a leader, and a truly modern monarch. He leaves behind an incredible legacy.” Another agreed: “RIP, King Harald V of Norway! [crying emoji]” as a third echoed: “Awwww sad [heart emoji] RIP.”
A third penned: “A sad day for global history. What an extraordinary 89 years of life.” A fourth echoed: “Rest in Peace, His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. A true OG, and a guy that everyone in Norway actually liked [prayer emoji].” The palace in Oslo said he passed away peacefully at 06:35 local time (04:35 GMT) at the national hospital in Oslo.
The royal flag on the roof of the palace has been lowered to half-mast. In the 24 hours leading up to his de@th, members of the royal family had visited the king, and crowds had laid flowers at the palace. After 35 years on the throne, Harald will be remembered as a popular and reforming figure who modernised the monarchy, broke with tradition by marrying a commoner and served as a unifying figure at Norway’s most difficult moments.
Royal observers say he was down-to-earth, respected and beloved, describing him as a “grandfather” of the nation and the “People’s King” – a title also used by his father, King Olav V. During his reign, the Norwegian monarchy became more egalitarian and transparent with finances and health, Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen, historian and TV2 royal correspondent, told the BBC.
Meanwhile, Tove Taalesen, royal correspondent for Nettavisen, described the late king as “one of us”, while Caroline Vagel, a royal expert for Se og Hør magazine, noted he had “always been very close to the people.” He is survived by his wife of almost 58 years, Queen Sonja, their daughter Princess Märtha Louise, their son, the new King Haakon, and six grandchildren.
