Norway’s King Harald V health deteriorates as he battles infection

Oslo: Norway's 89-year-old King Harald V's health has worsened over the weekend, the palace announced on Sunday. The monarch, Europe's longest-reigning monarch, is being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a condition resulting from rapid red blood cell destruction. Symptoms include fatigue, paleness, and shortness of breath. The King received antibiotics for a blood infection and responded positively to treatment, according to the palace.

King Harald was admitted to Oslo University Hospital on Monday due to fluid retention from cortisone treatment and will be on sick leave for two weeks. He cancelled a visit to Trondelag scheduled for September 1 and 2 after his previously announced sick leave period ended. Harald, who became king in 1991, has faced multiple health issues in recent years but has ruled out abdicating.

Family members, including his son Crown Prince Haakon, have visited him in the hospital. King Harald's health issues coincide with a challenging period for the Norwegian royal family, as Haakon's wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, faces scrutiny over her connection to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his son from a previous marriage, Marius Borg Hoiby, is serving a four-year prison sentence for various crimes.