Norway's King Harald V, 89, has been admitted to hospital in Oslo after a medical examination revealed complications from a rare blood disorder. The Norwegian royal household announced that the king has been undergoing treatment with cortisone for haemolytic anaemia — a condition in which the body destroys red blood cells faster than it can produce them — and that his condition requires hospitalisation. He has been placed on two weeks of sick leave, during which Crown Prince Haakon will serve as regent.
The hospitalisation is the latest in a series of health setbacks for the king, who holds the distinction of being Europe's longest-reigning monarch, having ascended the throne in January 1991. Earlier this year, he was rushed to hospital while on holiday on Tenerife, the Spanish island in the Atlantic, suffering from an infection and dehydration. In 2024, he received a pacemaker after falling ill during a trip to Malaysia. Despite this accumulation of health difficulties, Harald has firmly ruled out abdication and his household confirmed in April 2024 that he would make a permanent reduction in his public engagements out of consideration for his age.
The king's illness is one of several health concerns within the Norwegian royal family in recent months. Queen Sonja was hospitalised in May for examination and observation due to heart problems. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, wife of Crown Prince Haakon, suffers from a serious lung condition and, according to reports, received a lung transplant this summer.
The family has also navigated significant personal and reputational challenges. Crown Princess Mette-Marit publicly acknowledged earlier this year that she had exchanged hundreds of emails with convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014, saying she deeply regretted not having investigated his background more thoroughly. Separately, her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted this year of two counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison.
Norway's constitutional monarchy means that when the king is incapacitated, the crown prince assumes the role of regent, ensuring continuity of the ceremonial functions of the throne. Harald's extended period of illness has placed an increasing spotlight on the resilience — and the vulnerabilities — of the Scandinavian royal institution.