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Norway

King Harald of Norway discharged from hospital

His Majesty King Harald of Norway has been discharged from hospital after a week of treatment. The Royal Court in Oslo announced on Wednesday morning that the king, who is 82, has now returned home. Crown Prince Haakon will remain as regent of Norway for another week.

A brief press release confirms the following: “His Majesty The King was today discharged from the National Hospital. The king is still on sick leave.”

On Monday, Crown Prince Haakon visited the refugee aid headquarters in Oslo on Monday where he said: “I thank you for your thoughtfulness. The king is in recovery, we expect him to be home from the hospital during this week. After the conditions, he is fine. He was dizzy and unwell, which is why he was admitted to the hospital. It has been difficult in recent weeks. We try as best we can to take care of each other.”

Last week it was announced that His Majesty King Harald V of Norway had been hospitalised. King Harald was admitted to the National Hospital in Oslo because of dizziness. The statement from the Royal Court said: “His Majesty King Harald was admitted to the National Hospital today because of dizziness. No serious illness has been found. The King is expected to be discharged before the weekend. The King has cancelled his duties for two weeks. During this period, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon is acting regent.”

This is not the first time that King Harald’s health has given cause for concern in recent weeks. In December, he suffered a viral infection which led the Royal Court to announce that Crown Prince Haakon was appointed as temporary regent of Norway for the duration of the illness. When King Harald became ill in April 2018 as a result of congestion and pain in one foot, Crown Prince Haakon stepped in as regent for his father during his illness.

The King has had several health challenges the recent years, and although the Crown Prince has stepped in for his father on several occasions, Harald has no plans to pass on his role to his son. King Harald has, on several occasions, stated that it is out of the question for him to abdicate. However, his health is closely watched. Many reacted strongly in October 2019 when, for the first time in his reign, King Harald had to take the elevator and did not use the stairs when he opened the Norwegian parliament.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.