Norway’s King Harald V has been admitted to hospital after a medical examination, with Crown Prince Haakon taking over as Regent for two weeks, the Royal House has said.
The 89-year-old monarch was admitted to the National Hospital on Monday after a medical examination, according to a statement from the Royal House.
The statement said Harald had been “treated with cortisone for the blood disease hemolytic anaemia in recent weeks,” which had led to “fluid accumulation in the body that requires treatment in hospital.”
“The King is on sick leave for two weeks,” the Royal House said, adding that “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is Regent during this period.”
The Royal House said it would provide further information on the consequences of the hospitalisation for the royal household’s official programme.
It is the second time Harald has been in hospital this month. The monarch had visited hospital 10 days earlier for what the Royal House described as a “planned checkup and follow-up with a doctor,” adding that he had been driven there in his own car.
King Harald, who has been on the throne since 1991, is Europe’s oldest reigning monarch. He has faced several health issues in recent years, including undergoing surgery for a heart valve in 2020 and being hospitalised with an infection in 2022.
Crown Prince Haakon, 53, has previously served as regent during his father’s illness and will now assume the duties of head of state until the king recovers.
