The Royal Court of Norway announced that His Majesty King Harald V of Norway was admitted this afternoon to Rikshospitalet in Oslo following a medical examination.
The 89-year-old King has been receiving cortisone for hemolytic anemia in recent weeks. The Royal Court stated that the treatment has led to fluid accumulation in his body, which requires treatment in hospital.
King Harald will be on sick leave for two weeks. During this period, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will serve as Regent.
The hospitalization comes after King Harald V was admitted to hospital while on a private holiday in Tenerife on February 23rd, 2026. At the time, the King was treated for an infection and dehydration at Hospital Universitario Hospiten Sur in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. His condition was described as good under the circumstances.
King Harald V has experienced several health-related hospitalizations in recent years. In February 2024, he was admitted to hospital while vacationing with Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia, after developing a serious infection. During that hospitalization, he received a temporary pacemaker because of a low heart rate.
The King returned to Norway after being medically evacuated from Malaysia and has continued to carry out his constitutional duties, although his health has required periodic medical treatment and periods of sick leave.
Photo courtesy of Jabatan Penerangan Negara Brunei Darussalam
A companion piece to yesterday’s report on the withdrawal of Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah’s title, for readers who want to understand why the decision matters.
The announcement issued by the Office of the Grand Chamberlain of Brunei Darussalam was brief. It confirmed that the title held by Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah had been withdrawn with immediate effect and referred to conduct considered inappropriate for the spouse of a member of the royal family.
The announcement did not identify the conduct in question or provide further details about the circumstances that led to the decision. At present, the statement confirms the withdrawal but does not explain what specifically prompted His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei to take action.
Earlier withdrawals of royal titles
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has previously withdrawn the royal titles of two former wives.
In 2003, the Sultan divorced his second wife, Mariam Abdul Aziz, and her royal titles were withdrawn in connection with the divorce. Some contemporaneous reports described the divorce as related to Nusyuz, an Islamic legal term for a wife’s disobedience, though this was not confirmed in the official announcement.
In 2010, the Sultan divorced his third wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim. Her royal titles and honours were withdrawn following the divorce.
The current case is different because Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah is not the Sultan’s wife or former wife. She is his daughter-in-law, having married his son, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik of Brunei, in April 2015.
No divorce involving Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah and Prince ‘Abdul Malik was announced alongside the withdrawal of her title. Based on the information currently available, the decision appears to have been made separately from any announced change to the couple’s marital status.
This differs from the earlier cases, both of which followed a divorce.
That distinction matters beyond the individual case. Both prior withdrawals were exercises of the Sultan’s authority over his own marriage. This one extends that authority to the conduct of an in-married member of the wider royal family, independent of any change in her marital status, a broader assertion of control than either previous case demonstrates.
The wording of the announcement
The statement said that the withdrawal followed conduct deemed inappropriate for the spouse of a member of the royal family.
It further stated that the conduct had tarnished the good name of, and shown disrespect toward, His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, and the royal family.
The statement was issued by the Office of the Grand Chamberlain. The Acting Grand Chamberlain, Pengiran Haji Raffizanna bin Pengiran Haji Razali, communicated that the withdrawal had been carried out by royal command.
This distinction is important. The decision was ordered by His Majesty the Sultan, while the Office of the Grand Chamberlain communicated the decision. The statement did not set out the legal basis for the withdrawal or indicate whether additional action would follow.
What remains unknown
The announcement did not identify a specific incident or explain what conduct was considered inappropriate. It also did not address the status of Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah’s marriage to Prince ‘Abdul Malik.
It remains unclear whether the Office of the Grand Chamberlain will issue any additional announcement concerning Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah or Prince ‘Abdul Malik. For now, the withdrawal of her title is the only action that has been publicly confirmed, and the reasons behind it remain undisclosed.
Whether this signals a wider standard of expected conduct for extended royal family members, or remains an isolated case, will depend on whether similar action follows in future.
Portrait courtesy of Jabatan Penerangan Brunei Darussalam
In Bandar Seri Begawan, His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei has withdrawn, with immediate effect, the style and title held by the wife of his third son, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik of Brunei, according to an announcement issued by the Office of the Grand Chamberlain.
The decision concerns Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah, whose formal Brunei Malay title was Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah.
The announcement, issued by the Acting Grand Chamberlain, Pengiran Haji Raffizanna bin Pengiran Haji Razali, said the withdrawal was ordered by His Majesty the Sultan following conduct deemed inappropriate for the spouse of a member of the royal family.
It said the conduct had tarnished the good name of, and shown disrespect towards, His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, and the royal family.
The announcement did not specify the conduct in question, nor did it provide further details about the circumstances behind His Majesty the Sultan’s decision.
Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah married Prince ‘Abdul Malik in April 2015. The wedding celebrations were held in Bandar Seri Begawan from April 5th to 16th, culminating in the exchange of vows on April 12th in the throne room of Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of His Majesty the Sultan.
Before her marriage, she was known as Dayangku Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah. Following the marriage, she was accorded the title Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah.
The Selangor royal household has announced the birth of Yang Mulia Tengku Alia Amira binti Tengku Amir Shah, the first child of His Royal Highness Tengku Amir Shah, the Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Selangor, and Her Royal Highness Datin Paduka Seri Afzaa Fadini Abdul Aziz. The princess was born on July 21st, 2026, at 2:56 in the afternoon.
In a statement, the royal household said the couple gave thanks to Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā for the blessing and expressed their sincere appreciation to all those who had offered prayers and well wishes for their family.
Yang Mulia Tengku Alia Amira binti Tengku Amir Shah is the first child of the royal couple, who were married on October 2nd, 2025, at the Masjid Istana Diraja, Istana Alam Shah, in Klang.
His Royal Highness Tengku Amir Shah was proclaimed Raja Muda of Selangor on May 3rd, 2002, at the age of 11, following the death of his elder brother, and was formally installed in the role on October 8th, 2016. He is the heir apparent to the Selangor throne. Selangor is one of the nine hereditary Malay states of Malaysia whose ruler is eligible to serve as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the country’s constitutional monarch, under Malaysia’s unique rotational monarchy system.
Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō/Imperial Household Agency
In Tokyo, Japan’s National Diet has approved legislation to revise the Imperial House Law following final passage by the House of Councillors this morning. The legislation represents one of the most significant reforms affecting the Imperial Family of Japan in decades. It is intended to address the continuing decline in the number of working members of the Imperial Family.
The House of Councillors, the upper house of the National Diet (Japan’s parliament), approved the measure by a vote of 184 to 57, one week after it passed the House of Representatives.
Under the revised law, female members of the Imperial Family will be permitted to remain in the Imperial Household after marrying a commoner, ending the long-standing requirement that Imperial women relinquish their Imperial status upon marriage. The legislation also authorizes the adoption of male-line descendants from former Imperial branch families that lost their Imperial status under post-war reforms following World War II. Lawmakers rejected an opposition proposal that sought to remove the adoption provision before the bill received final approval.
The legislation does not alter Japan’s rules of Imperial succession. The Chrysanthemum Throne will continue to pass exclusively through the male line under the current Imperial House Law, meaning Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko, Princess Toshi, remains outside the line of succession.
The reforms are intended to strengthen the Imperial Household by increasing the number of family members available to carry out official duties while leaving the question of female succession unchanged. Whether women should one day be permitted to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne remains a separate issue and was not addressed by the revised legislation.
The revised Imperial House Law will enter into force three months after its official promulgation.
Portrait courtesy of Buckingham Palace/Chris Jackson
In Madrid, the entry into force of the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar has opened a new chapter in relations between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom. Separately, a report published by El País indicates that discussions are underway regarding a future state visit by Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom.
According to journalist Miguel González of El País in Spain, Casa de Su Majestad el Rey and Buckingham Palace have been discussing a future state visit by Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom. Mr. González reports that the visit is expected to take place during the second half of 2027, although no official announcement has been made.
The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Kingdom of Spain, His Excellency Alex Ellis, said it would be “an honour” to welcome His Majesty King Charles III to the Kingdom of Spain, adding that such visits have historically been complicated, in part because of Gibraltar.
The agreement, which entered into force this week, removes routine border controls at the Gibraltar–Kingdom of Spain frontier and is intended to facilitate the movement of people and goods while preserving the longstanding positions of both the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain on sovereignty.
At this time, however, neither Casa de Su Majestad el Rey nor Buckingham Palace has announced a date or officially confirmed a state visit. According to El País, discussions between the two royal households remain ongoing.
If the visit takes place, it would be the first state visit by a British monarch to the Kingdom of Spain since the late Queen Elizabeth II in October 1988. It would also reciprocate the state visit made by Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain to the United Kingdom in mid-July 2017.
The Albanian Royal Court has announced the birth of a son to Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Leka II and Princess Blerta of the Albanians.
According to a statement released by the court on Friday, Her Royal Highness Princess Blerta gave birth to His Royal Highness Prince Aleksandër of the Albanians on July 10, 2026, at the Queen Geraldine University Obstetric and Gynecological Hospital in Tirana.
Prince Aleksandër is the first child of Crown Prince Leka II and Princess Blerta and is the heir to the House of Zogu.
The couple was married in a private civil ceremony at Château Apponyi in Slovakia on March 15, 2026.
The House of Zogu was established in 1928, when King Zog I proclaimed the Kingdom of the Albanians. The monarchy was abolished in 1946 following the proclamation of the People’s Republic of Albania. Crown Prince Leka II is recognized by monarchists as the head of the historic royal house.
Crown Prince Leka II is the grandson of King Zog I. Prince Aleksandër is now first in the line of succession to the headship of the House of Zogu.
The Royal Correspondent 