Norway's 89-year-old monarch, King Harald V, is currently in an 'extremely serious' condition in hospital, according to the royal household. His wife, Queen Sonja, and his son, Crown Prince Haakon, have cancelled all royal engagements and are

The 89-year-old king has been battling a rare blood condition, haemolytic anaemia, for over a week. He has been treated with cortisone to reduce the number of red blood cells in his body, which leads to fatigue and shortness of breath. For related coverage, explore our detailed analysis on Technology and Digital Systems.

Background and Health Issues

Having been on the throne since 1991, King Harald is Europe's oldest head of state. His health issues have forced him to scale back his royal duties in recent years, including a pacemaker implantation in 2024 after falling ill on holiday in Malaysia.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement: 'The whole nation is with us as we send warm thoughts to the king and the rest of the royal family.' The royal family has already faced several challenges this year, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit's lung transplant in June after she was diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis.

Additionally, documents revealed that Mette-Marit had frequent contact with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which she later apologised for and admitted to 'poor judgement'.

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Royal Family Response and Latest Developments

The king's condition has worsened over the past week, and his family is closely monitoring his health. As the situation develops, we will provide updates on the latest news from Oslo University Hospital.

She later apologised to Norway's king and queen for her three-year friendship with Epstein and admitted to "poor judgement", adding in a national TV interview that she wished she had never met him.

King of Norway's health has worsened, palace says

Members of Norway's royal family, including King Harald's son, Crown Prince Haakon, have gathered at the medical facility King Harald V of Norway is in an "extremely serious" condition in medical facility, the country's royal household has stated.

His wife, Queen Sonja, and his son, Crown Prince Haakon, have cancelled all royal engagements and they have gathered at his bedside at Oslo University Medical facility with other members of the royal family.