Harald hospitalized in Oslo
The palace said the King “will be absent from official duties for at least two weeks,” with Crown Prince Haakon serving as regent during the period.
The Royal House said the King is being cared for in the National Hospital in Oslo, and it described the episode as the latest in a “long series of health issues.”
In February, the King was admitted to hospital in Tenerife for an infection in his leg after falling ill while on holiday in Spain with his wife Queen Sonja, and his doctor Bjørn Bendz said he had “responded well to treatment and recovered quickly.”
Cortisone and fluid retention
Multiple outlets tied the current hospitalization to the Royal House statement that “This has led to fluid accumulation in the body that requires treatment in hospital.”
News24 said the King was urgently rushed to hospital for urgent care and that Crown Prince Haakon would serve as regent for two weeks while the King took sick leave.
People reported that the Royal House announced on Monday, Aug. 17, that the King, 89, had been hospitalized due to side effects from other ongoing medical treatment, and it quoted the palace statement in Norwegian about cortisone and fluid accumulation.
People also quoted the King’s physician Bjørn Bendz saying, “When people of almost 90 years old are admitted with an infection, it is serious,” during the February hospitalization for infection and dehydration in Tenerife.
Regency and royal program
The Straits Times reported that the palace said Harald has been treated with cortisone and that “This treatment has led to fluid retention in the body, which requires hospital care,” placing the focus on haemolytic anaemia and its effects.
The same report said Harald has always ruled out abdicating by referencing his lifelong oath to the Norwegian Parliament, quoting him: “I have taken an oath to the Storting, and it lasts for life.”
Euronews added that the Norwegian royal palace said the King has been battling haemolytic anaemia and that “This has led to fluid retention in the body, which requires hospital treatment,” while also noting that the family has been dealing with other health problems including Princess Astrid’s heart failure admission in May and Queen Sonja’s hospitalization in May.