Concerns Grow for King Harald of Norway, 89, After Palace Update on His Health

The Royal House of Norway shared an update on King Harald, 89, after his hospitalization, saying his condition “worsened.”

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King Harald’s health “worsened” amid his recent hospitalization, the Royal House of Norway said in a new health update on the monarch

Although the situation is described as stable, the King will remain at Oslo University Hospital and is on sick leave until further notice

Members of the royal family, including heir Crown Prince Haakon, have been photographed visiting the hospital

The Royal House of Norway shared a concerning update on King Harald following his recent hospitalization.

On Sunday, Aug. 23, the palace released a new health update on the 89-year-old monarch, saying that King Harald’s “condition worsened over the weekend.”

“His Majesty is receiving antibiotics for a bloodstream bacterial infection and has responded to this treatment,” the palace added.

Although the situation is described as stable, King Harald will remain at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, and is on sick leave until further notice.

Another update was issued on Monday, Aug. 24: “There are no significant changes in the King’s health, and the situation remains stable.”

Members of the Norwegian royal family were photographed visiting the hospital in recent days. Visitors included Crown Prince Haakon — the King’s only son and heir, who is currently acting as regent amid the hospitalization — and Haakon’s wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

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The Royal House of Norway announced on Monday, Aug. 17, that the King had been hospitalized due to side effects from other ongoing medical treatment.

The recent hospitalization marks the King’s second in 2026. He was previously hospitalized in February, several days after his 89th birthday while on holiday in Tenerife with his wife, Queen Sonja. The palace released a statement at the time saying the King had been treated for “infection and dehydration.”

The King also previously had a leg operation in 2022, COVID diagnoses in 2022 and 2023 and pacemaker surgery in 2024.

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Despite his recent health scares, King Harald has maintained a busy schedule, including hosting a state visit from Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde in March.

King Harald also traveled to Stockholm in April for the 80th birthday celebrations of Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf.

In May, King Harald made a public appearance for Norwegian Constitution Day. He was also photographed hosting Norway’s national soccer team at the palace in Oslo in July following their historic World Cup run. Led by Erling Haaland, the team made their best-ever performance in the tournament, reaching the quarter-finals.

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King Harald has reigned for 35 years, becoming Norway’s monarch at age 53 upon the death of his father, King Olav, in January 1991.

Despite his declining health and the fact that he has an heir of ruling age, the monarch has previously said that he doesn’t plan to give up the throne. The King made the comment during a royal outing with Prince Haakon in January 2024, when the press asked him about abdicating like Queen Margrethe of Denmark recently had.

“No, I don’t really have it. I stand by what I have said all along. I have taken an oath to the Storting, and it lasts for life,” King Harald said, referencing the pledge he made to the Norwegian Parliament when he acceded to the throne.

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Norway’s royal family has been plagued by health issues in recent years. Queen Sonja, 89, was hospitalized in May following a heart failure diagnosis. She previously had a pacemaker installed in January 2025 after experiencing atrial fibrillation during a ski vacation, which required an airlift to the hospital.

Additionally, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 53, underwent a lung transplant in June after being diagnosed in 2018 with chronic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung condition. Before her surgery, she had to wear a nasal cannula, or oxygen breathing tube, for some public appearances.

The transplant, which took place at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, was lauded as a success by Mette-Marit’s doctors. The Crown Princess and her husband sent their thanks to the medical staff and the public for the well-wishes they received during the “challenging time.”

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