The health status of King Harald of Norway is “very serious”. The Norwegian Royal House reported this Thursday a new deterioration of the monarch, 89 years old, who remains hospitalized at the Rikshospitalet of the University Hospital of Oslo due to a bacterial infection in the blood.
The institution has limited itself to communicating that “the health status of His Majesty the King is very serious”. It has not offered a prognosis, explained the causes of the latest deterioration, nor specified if Harald continues to respond to antibiotic treatment.
Heir Prince Haakon and Queen Sonja have canceled all events they had planned for this Thursday. Haakon is already acting as regent while his father remains on medical leave and temporarily assumes the functions of the head of State.
Harald's health goes from stable to “very serious” in three days
The new communication represents a substantial change regarding the report released on Monday. At that time, the Royal House assured that there had been no significant variations and that the king's condition remained stable.
Harald was admitted to the hospital in Oslo on August 17. The monarch had received treatment with cortisone for hemolytic anemia, a disease that accelerates the destruction of red blood cells. The Palace explained that the treatment had caused him a fluid accumulation that required hospital attention.
The situation worsened during the following weekend. On Sunday, August 23, the Royal House communicated that doctors had detected a bacterial infection in the blood and that the king was receiving antibiotics.
The statement indicated that Harald had responded to the treatment and that the situation was stable. One day later, the Palace stated that there were no significant changes. This Thursday it has stopped using the term “stable” and has described for the first time his condition as “very serious”.
Haakon is already acting as regent of Norway
Haakon has assumed the constitutional functions of his father since the medical leave began. The regency allows the heir prince to temporarily act as head of State, but does not imply an abdication or a change in the ownership of the Crown.
Harald continues to be the king of Norway. Haakon occupies the first position in the line of succession and his daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, appears immediately after.
Democrat has explained what will happen when Harald is gone and how the line of succession will change. The Royal House has not announced any institutional changes related to the new medical report.
The latest admissions of King Harald
Harald, the oldest reigning monarch in Europe, has suffered several health problems in recent years. In February, he was hospitalized during a private vacation in Tenerife due to a skin infection in one leg and a case of dehydration.
He remained hospitalized for two days before being discharged and continuing his stay on the island.
In 2024, he also had to be treated for an infection during a private trip to Malaysia. There, a temporary pacemaker was implanted before he was transferred on a medicalized plane to Norway, where he received a permanent one.
After that episode, the king definitively reduced the number and duration of his official commitments, although he ruled out abdicating. Harald has occupied the throne since 1991 and has defended that the oath he took before the Norwegian Parliament is for life.
The new deterioration occurs when the monarch has been hospitalized for ten days. Haakon maintains the functions of regent and the Royal House has not indicated when it will provide a new medical report.