Norway: King Harald's health has 'deteriorated,' palace says

Norway's King Harald, 89, has experienced a decline in his health while hospitalized over the weekend, according to the royal household. The king is being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a condition resulting from the rapid destruction of red blood cells, which leads to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and paleness.

His Majesty's condition worsened during the weekend, but the palace stated that he is responding positively to antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood. The king's health remained stable, and he was placed on sick leave for two weeks. Harald was admitted to Oslo University Hospital on Monday due to fluid retention associated with cortisone treatment he has been receiving.

The king has canceled a planned visit to the Trondelag region in central Norway, scheduled for September 1 and 2, as these dates fall after his sick leave period. Several relatives, including Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and the king's sister, visited him in the hospital on Sunday. Haakon has been serving as regent in his father's absence.

Harald, who became king in 1991, is the oldest reigning monarch in Europe and has faced numerous health issues in recent years, including the fitting of a pacemaker and scaling back his official duties. Despite his health problems, the king has pledged not to abdicate, as he took a lifelong oath before parliament. This health concern adds to the recent scandals affecting the Norwegian royal family, with Queen Mette-Marit facing scrutiny over her close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, serving a prison sentence for rape.