Norway’s King Harald’s health has deteriorated — royal palace
The health of Norway’s 89-year-old King Harald deteriorated during his hospital stay, the royal palace said. The monarch is receiving antibiotics for a bacterial blood infection and is responding to treatment; his condition is assessed as stable, Deutsche Welle reports.
Treatment at an Oslo hospital
Harald was admitted to Oslo University Hospital on Monday due to fluid retention related to cortisone treatment. The king is being treated for hemolytic anemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed rapidly. The illness can cause fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and paleness.
The king will be on sick leave for two weeks. He also canceled a planned visit to the Trøndelag region in central Norway on September 1 and 2.
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The crown prince serves as regent
According to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, Harald was visited in hospital on Sunday by his wife, Queen Sonja, his son Crown Prince Haakon, his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit, as well as the king’s sister. During his father’s absence, Crown Prince Haakon is serving as regent.
Harald, who ascended the throne in 1991, is Europe’s oldest reigning monarch. In recent years, he has had a number of health problems, received a pacemaker, and had to reduce his official duties. In February, the king was hospitalized for an infection and dehydration during a private trip with Queen Sonja to Tenerife. Despite his health condition, he has said that he will not abdicate because he took a lifelong oath before parliament.
