Norway's King Harald Remains In 'Very Serious' Condition

(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- Norwegian King Harald V remains in a“very serious” condition in hospital after his health suddenly deteriorated earlier on Thursday.

The 89-year-old king was hospitalized on Aug. 17 after suffering fluid accumulation in the body as a result of cortisone treatment for hemolytic anemia. On Thursday morning, he took a turn for the worse, according to the royal palace.

On Thursday afternoon, the court said the king's condition was unchanged after Harald's immediate family had paid a visit to the Oslo University hospital.

Crown Prince Haakon and Queen Sonja have canceled their official events, including planned trips, the palace said. Haakon serves as regent during the King's illness, according to the palace.

The parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee cut short its trip to South Korea, and parliament speaker returned home from Iceland, local media reported. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre canceled his trip to Germany Thursday evening.

The king is very popular in Norway, earning respect for his inclusive style and willingness to broach topics that may have been controversial for a monarch. In a 2026 survey by NRK, Norwegians gave Harald a 9.2 score out of 10 as popularity for the monarchy as an institution declined.

In a much quoted speech in 2016 he embraced every Norwegian, saying“Norwegians are girls who like girls, boys who like boys and girls and boys who like each other,” reminding listeners he himself was once an immigrant and that his grandparents“migrated from Denmark and England 110 years ago.”

The king had a heart pacemaker surgically implanted in 2024.

(Updates with royal palace statement from second paragraph.)

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