Norwegian King Harald's health has 'deteriorated', palace says

OSLO: The health of Norway's 89-year-old King Harald V, currently hospitalized for complications from a blood condition, has worsened over the weekend, a palace statement revealed on Sunday. The monarch, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, is suffering from haemolytic anaemia, a condition resulting from rapid red blood cell destruction, leading to fatigue, paleness, and shortness of breath.

Palace officials reported that His Majesty the King's health declined during the weekend, adding that he is responding positively to antibiotics for a blood-borne bacterial infection. Admitted to Oslo University Hospital on Monday due to fluid retention from cortisone treatment, the King has been granted sick leave for two weeks.

The palace had previously announced the cancellation of King Harald's visit to the Trondelag region, scheduled for September 1 and 2, following the conclusion of his previous sick leave period. Family members, including Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and King Harald's sister, have visited him in the hospital.

No statements were made by the visitors upon leaving the hospital. Harald, who took the Norwegian throne in 1991, has faced multiple health issues in recent years, including a pacemaker implant and a reduced official schedule. Despite these challenges, he has ruled out abdication, citing his lifelong oath before the Norwegian Parliament.

In February, Harald was hospitalized in Tenerife for an infection and dehydration during a private trip with Queen Sonja. Queen Sonja, 89, was briefly admitted to the hospital in May due to heart problems. The health concerns for the royal family come at a challenging period, as Queen Mette-Marit, Haakon's wife, is under scrutiny for her connections to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Documents released in January revealed her correspondence with Epstein between 2011 and 2014. Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Hoiby, is also facing legal troubles, having been sentenced to four years in prison for multiple rape charges. Mette-Marit, 53, suffers from a serious lung disease and underwent a lung transplant in July. Despite the ongoing health issues, the Norwegian public remains largely supportive of the royal family, largely due to King Harald's unifying presence.