On Monday, the Norwegian Royal Palace announced that King Harald, who has been on the throne for over three decades, had been hospitalized due to an infection and would be unable to fulfill his official duties “for a few days.” The palace released a statement indicating that “His Majesty the King is ill and was admitted to the national hospital” in Oslo. This is not the first time that the 86-year-old monarch has faced health issues in recent years. In fact, he has been hospitalized multiple times for various reasons, including COVID-19, knee surgery, heart surgery, and respiratory problems. Last year, he was hospitalized twice due to infections in August and December.
Despite his health issues, King Harald has refused to abdicate. The Norwegian Royal Palace did not provide any details about the current infection or how long the king is expected to stay in the hospital.
Meanwhile, the king’s son, Crown Prince Haakon, and his wife, Mette-Marit, represented the Norwegian royal family at the coronation of King Charles III in London on Saturday. The coronation was attended by various heads of state and dignitaries, and it marked the formal beginning of Charles’ reign as the king of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms. It is unclear how long King Harald’s hospitalization will last or if it will affect any upcoming royal engagements.