Norway’s King Harald V in very serious condition
Norway’s King Harald V is in very serious condition after his health worsened while he was hospitalized in Oslo, the royal palace said.
The palace said Thursday morning that Harald’s condition had deteriorated and was “very serious.” A later update said his condition had not changed.
Crown Prince Haakon, Harald’s son and heir, is serving as regent during his father’s illness, temporarily carrying out the king’s official duties. Norway is a constitutional monarchy, with the king serving as head of state while the elected government runs the country.
The palace said Haakon and Queen Sonja, the king’s wife, had canceled all of their public engagements. Haakon’s planned visit to Færder National Park and Sonja’s trip to Trøndelag were among the canceled events.
Members of the king’s immediate family visited him at Rikshospitalet, Norway’s national hospital in Oslo, according to NRK.
“Given his age and his previous medical history, I think we have to accept that this is very serious and prepare for the worst,” Bjørn Tore Gjertsen, a hematology specialist at Haukeland University Hospital, told NRK.
People gathered outside the Royal Palace in Oslo throughout Thursday to leave cards, photographs and flowers for the king.
Harald, 89, has been hospitalized at Rikshospitalet, Norway’s national hospital in Oslo, for more than a week. The palace said Sunday that he was being treated with antibiotics for a bloodstream infection.
The king was admitted after developing fluid retention while receiving cortisone treatment for hemolytic anemia, a blood disorder. He has been Norway’s monarch since 1991.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
