King Harald’s Health Deteriorates Amid Royal Family Strains

Norway’s King Harald V’s health has worsened while he remains hospitalized with a bacterial infection in his bloodstream, the Norwegian palace has announced. The 89-year-old monarch has responded to antibiotic treatment, but doctors will keep him at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, and he will remain on leave from royal duties until further notice. King Harald was admitted about a week earlier and has been receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia, a rare blood disorder that reduces the number of red blood cells and can cause fatigue and shortness of breath. Crown Prince Haakon, 53, is acting as regent while his father is unavailable. King Harald, who has reigned since 1991, announced in 2024 that he would permanently reduce his public engagements because of his age. He was fitted with a pacemaker that year after becoming ill during a holiday in Malaysia. The article also describes several other difficulties faced by Norway’s royal family in 2026. Crown Princess Mette-Marit underwent a lung transplant in June after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. Her son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of two counts of rape; he denied the most serious charges and plans to appeal. Høiby is not a royal figure. Earlier in the year, documents revealed Mette-Marit’s frequent contact with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She apologized to King Harald and Queen Sonja, describing the three-year friendship as poor judgment, and said in a televised interview that she wished she had never met Epstein.

Norway’s King Harald’s health deteriorated over the weekend while he was being treated at Oslo University Hospital, according to a statement from the royal household. The 89-year-old monarch is being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a condition involving the rapid destruction of red blood cells that can cause fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and paleness. The palace said he had also developed a bacterial infection in his blood and was receiving antibiotics. Although his health had worsened, he had responded to the treatment and his condition was described as stable. Harald was admitted to hospital on Monday because of fluid retention linked to cortisone treatment. He has been placed on sick leave for two weeks and canceled a planned visit to the Trondelag region in central Norway. Several family members, including Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Harald’s sister, visited him. Haakon has been acting as regent during his father’s absence. The king, who became monarch in 1991 and is Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, has experienced several health problems in recent years. He has had a pacemaker fitted, reduced his official duties and was hospitalized with an infection and dehydration during a private trip to Tenerife earlier this year. Despite his health difficulties, Harald has said he will not abdicate because he took a lifelong oath before parliament. The article also places the king’s health concerns within a difficult year for Norway’s royal family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has faced scrutiny over her connections to Jeffrey Epstein, while her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, was sentenced to four years in prison on two rape charges. Hoiby has appealed the verdict.

Norway’s 89-year-old King Harald V, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, has experienced a deterioration in health while being treated at Oslo University Hospital, according to a palace statement issued on Aug 24. Harald is being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a condition involving the rapid destruction of red blood cells, and has also developed a bacterial infection in his blood. The palace said he has responded to antibiotics, but remains hospitalised. Harald was admitted on Aug 17 after developing fluid retention associated with cortisone treatment. He was initially placed on sick leave for two weeks, but has since cancelled a planned visit to Trondelag on Sept 1 and 2. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, is acting as regent during his absence. Queen Sonja, Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Harald’s sister have visited him in hospital. The king, who became monarch in 1991, has faced several health problems in recent years, including the insertion of a pacemaker and a hospitalisation in February for an infection and dehydration while on a private trip to Tenerife. Despite his age and recurring illnesses, Harald has repeatedly rejected the idea of abdicating, saying he made a lifelong oath before the Norwegian Parliament. Queen Sonja, also 89, was briefly hospitalised in May because of heart problems. Harald’s illness comes as the Norwegian royal family faces other difficulties. Mette-Marit has been scrutinised over correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, is appealing a four-year prison sentence for rape, violence and other offences. Mette-Marit, who has a serious lung disease, underwent a lung transplant in July. Despite these controversies and health concerns, the royal family remains broadly popular, with Harald viewed by many Norwegians as a unifying figure.