Norway’s King Harald V, 89, remains in hospital in Oslo after his health worsened over the weekend, while the royal palace maintains that his condition is stable.
The deterioration has created concern in the Norwegian capital, DR reports. Residents interviewed by the Danish broadcaster described the king as the grandfather of the entire Norwegian population and as a figure who holds the country together.
Among them was Gudmun Stokke, who called the king a unifying person. Per DR, he said the king leads the country and speaks to everyone in the nation, regardless of status or background. Another resident, Kristen Gunnarsdotter, said she wants Harald to remain on the throne.
DR’s Nordic correspondent, Per Bang Thomsen, noted that the Norwegian royal house has been through a series of scandals in recent years, with talk of an existential crisis. Throughout that period, he said, the king has kept broad support among the population. Norwegians are now hoping he will be back on his feet soon.
According to DR, the message from the palace on Monday afternoon was that there were no significant changes in the king’s condition, which remained stable. On Sunday, the palace had said his health had worsened but was still stable. Gunnarsdotter told DR she views Crown Prince Haakon positively, but is more hesitant about a future change of monarch.
What the palace has said
Danish broadcaster TV 2 reported on August 23 that the royal household said in a press release that the king’s health had deteriorated during the weekend. He is being treated with antibiotics for a bacterial infection in the blood, and his situation is described as stable. TV 2 added that he was admitted to Oslo’s Rikshospitalet and placed on sick leave for two weeks.
Reuters reported that the palace said the king has responded to the antibiotic treatment. The agency also noted that Harald, at 89, is Europe’s oldest serving head of state. Norwegian broadcaster NRK, cited by the Associated Press, reported on August 24 that Crown Prince Haakon visited his father in hospital after the weekend.
The Associated Press also reported that the king has hemolytic anemia, and that cortisone treatment led to fluid accumulation requiring hospital care. Euronews reported on August 17 that the palace announced the hospitalization and two weeks of sick leave that day. During the sick leave, Crown Prince Haakon acts as regent and takes over the king’s duties.
The current wave of coverage follows the palace statement of Sunday, August 23. As reported by Reuters, that update marked an escalation, because the king was already in hospital when his health worsened.
