King Harald’s health has taken a serious turn, with the Norwegian Royal Court announcing that the 89-year-old monarch’s condition is now “very serious.”
The Palace issued a stark new update on Thursday morning, just days after confirming that the monarch’s health had deteriorated while he remained in hospital.
The latest statement, dated August 27, says: “His Majesty the King’s state of health is very serious.”
The Norwegian Royal Court has not provided further details about the King’s condition at this stage.
However, in a significant development, both Crown Prince Haakon and Queen Sonja have cancelled all of their scheduled engagements.
Crown Prince Haakon is currently serving as Regent while his father remains in hospital and has been carrying out the sovereign’s constitutional duties during his illness.
Queen Sonja, meanwhile, has been regularly visiting her husband in hospital and has now also cancelled her programme.
The announcement marks a dramatic change from the last official health update issued by the Palace.
On Monday, the Royal Court said there had been no significant changes in King Harald’s health and that his situation remained stable.
That followed a more worrying announcement on Sunday, when the Palace revealed that the King’s health had deteriorated over the weekend.
Harald was receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood and had responded to the treatment. At that time, his condition was described as stable.
The King of Norway has remained at Rikshospitalet, the National Hospital in Oslo, since being admitted on August 17.
He was initially hospitalised after doctors became concerned about side effects from his treatment for haemolytic anaemia.
Harald had been receiving cortisone for the condition, but developed fluid retention which required further treatment in hospital.
The bacterial infection subsequently emerged during his hospital stay.
King Harald’s latest deterioration comes after a series of serious health problems in recent years, including repeated infections, heart surgery and the implantation of a permanent pacemaker.
The Norwegian monarch, who has reigned since 1991, is 89 years old and has increasingly relied on Crown Prince Haakon to carry out his duties when illness prevents him from doing so.
Haakon’s role as Regent now takes on even greater significance as the Palace describes his father’s condition as “very serious.”
The decision by both the Crown Prince and Queen Sonja to cancel all scheduled engagements is another indication of the gravity of the latest development.
The Norwegian Royal Court has not yet announced when a further update on King Harald’s condition will be issued.
