Norway’s Royal Court says King Harald V’s health worsened over the weekend while he was hospitalized in Oslo. The 89-year-old monarch is being treated with antibiotics for a bacterial blood infection, and his condition is described as stable.
DR reports that the Norwegian Royal Court issued a statement on Sunday, August 23, 2026, saying the king’s health had deteriorated. Harald V remains admitted at Rikshospitalet in Oslo. The palace said he has responded to the treatment he is receiving.
According to Reuters, the court stated that the king is receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood. The situation is described as stable despite the reported deterioration. Reuters also notes that Harald V, at 89, is Europe’s oldest reigning head of state.
TV 2 Danmark reports that the king has been hospitalized at Rikshospitalet since Monday, August 17, 2026. His admission followed a medical examination. The broadcaster cites the palace press release on the antibiotic treatment and the positive response to it.
The underlying condition
Per TV 2 Danmark and Reuters, the king had been treated with cortisone in recent weeks for haemolytic anaemia, a blood disease. That treatment led to fluid retention in his body, which required hospital treatment. The bacterial blood infection is a new complication that emerged during his stay.
When Harald V was admitted on August 17, the Royal Court placed him on sick leave for two weeks, with Crown Prince Haakon acting as regent. That earlier statement was reported by DR on August 17, 2026, and by Der Spiegel the following day. The palace said at the time that the fluid accumulation caused by the cortisone treatment made hospitalization necessary.
The specialist site Royal Correspondent reports that the weekend update changes the terms of that leave. According to the site, the court now says the king is on sick leave until further notice, rather than for a fixed two-week period. It reproduces the palace wording that he has responded to the antibiotic treatment and that the situation is stable.
Why the statement came now
Royal Correspondent reports that the Royal Court published its press release in Oslo on the afternoon of Sunday, August 23, 2026, after assessing the king’s condition over the weekend. The update was issued because his health had worsened while he was already in the hospital.
A report by Türkiye Today, based on AFP material, gives the same account of the palace statement. It cites the haemolytic anaemia, the cortisone treatment, the fluid retention, and the antibiotics for the blood infection. That report also states that the king has responded to treatment and that his condition is stable.
