Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit visited Norway’s King Harald at Rikshospitalet in Oslo on Tuesday. The 89-year-old monarch was admitted on Monday and has been placed on two weeks’ sick leave.
Avisen Danmark reports that photographs show the crown prince couple at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon. The pictures were distributed by the Norwegian news agency NTB, according to the newspaper.
The visit came a few hours after the king’s 94-year-old older sister, Princess Astrid, had been to see him. The Norwegian royal house announced on Monday that the monarch had been admitted following a medical examination.
In recent weeks, King Harald has been treated with cortisone for the blood disorder hemolytic anemia. Per the court’s account, that treatment led to fluid retention in his body, which required hospital treatment.
The Royal House of Norway stated that the king was admitted to Rikshospitalet on the afternoon of August 17. The same statement said he is signed off sick for two weeks, with Crown Prince Haakon serving as regent during that period.
Norwegian outlet Nettavisen reported that Haakon and Mette-Marit were seen outside the hospital on Tuesday, the day after the palace announcement. The outlet repeated the court’s account of the cortisone treatment, the fluid retention and the two-week sick leave.
Coverage abroad
Euronews covered the palace announcement on Monday and described hemolytic anemia as a disorder involving premature destruction of red blood cells. It also noted that Crown Prince Haakon takes over his father’s official duties while the king is on sick leave.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported the same details from the palace statement. Its coverage focused on the hospitalization and the regency arrangement, and did not mention Tuesday’s family visit.
Danish outlet BT published a similar account, also crediting NTB. BT noted that Haakon and Mette-Marit arrived at Rikshospitalet a few hours after Princess Astrid’s visit.
As reported by NTB and cited by BT, the appearance is one of the first times Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been photographed since she received new lungs in June 2026. The news agency described the hospital visit as a family visit to the king.
According to the Royal House of Norway, the admission on August 17 followed the medical examination that identified the fluid retention linked to the cortisone treatment. That development is the stated reason for both the hospitalization and the two-week sick leave.
The palace has not announced a date for the king’s discharge. Reporting from Avisen Danmark, Nettavisen, SVT and Euronews is consistent on the king’s condition, his age and the length of the sick leave.
