This afternoon in Oslo, the Royal Court of Norway issued a press release regarding the health of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway.

His Majesty the King’s health deteriorated over the weekend. The King is receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood and has responded to this treatment.

The situation is stable. The King remains at Rikshospitalet and is on sick leave until further notice.

On August 17th, His Majesty the King was admitted to Rikshospitalet in Oslo following a medical examination.

The 89-year-old King had been receiving cortisone for hemolytic anemia in recent weeks. The Royal Court stated that the treatment had led to fluid accumulation in his body, which required treatment in hospital.

King Harald V had initially been placed on sick leave for two weeks.

The hospitalization came 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.