It was announced yesterday by the Norwegian Royal Court that King Harald is on medical leave, due to pain in his foot. Crown Prince Haakon commented on this when he met the Norwegian press during the last day of his Baltic trip. Since the medical leave was announced, it has also been announced that His Majesty will only be away from his work the rest of this week. King Harald is, therefore, back to work on Monday.
It was during the last day of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s four-day journey in the Baltic states that the Crown Prince commented on the King’s foot situation. His Royal Highness said: “I think he will be well again soon. The King is very good to think that he is well all the time. Now, I think his foot needs some rest, and then it will be good again, and then he will be back. It will be fine”.
His Majesty the King should have held an audience for recipients of the King’s Medal of Honour at the Royal Palace in Oslo yesterday; this audience was taken over by Her Majesty the Queen. When the Norwegian Council of State is held today, the Crown Prince will meet with the government alone.
King Harald was also supposed to attend the celebrations for the Norwegian Society’s 150th Anniversary at the Norwegian Theatre in Oslo. Crown Prince Haakon will attend on behalf of his father on Saturday evening. Although King Harald resumes his work on Monday, he has no official tasks before Thursday next week. On Thursday, His Majesty has granted an audience to Norway’s Foreign Minister as well as the United Kingdoms Chief of Defence, Sir Stuart Peach.
The first official event in the public that the Royal Court’s calendar has set up for King Harald is next Friday when His Majesty will attend a concert in Oslo. Royal Central will be, of course, present in Oslo at this event and will bring you the latest news from the concert.
When His Majesty was still heir to the throne, and in the military, it was discovered that he had a congenital defect on one foot. It made it difficult to stretch the foot entirely during regular marching. The military doctors suggested surgery. However, after a family council at the Palace, it was decided that he would not be operated on. For a while, however, he went for treatment at Sophie’s Minde Hospital.
“I usually say that I have feet that are not so good to go on. So, therefore, I’m not so fond of walking”, was King Harald’s comment in a biography of the King published in 2005.
