King Harald of Norway’s health has taken a worrying turn. The 89-year-old has been hospitalized since August 17, with his condition declining over the weekend. On Sunday, the Norwegian Royal House issued an update. “His Majesty the King’s health deteriorated over the weekend,” said the palace, adding that he “is receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood and has responded to this treatment.”
Given the circumstances, nearly every branch of the family has made its way to King Harald’s bedside.
A blood disorder that escalated fast
Harald was admitted to Oslo’s National Hospital on Monday, August 17. In the weeks leading up to that, he’d been undergoing cortisone treatment for hemolytic anemia, a blood disorder. The treatment caused fluid to build up in his body to the point that hospitalization became necessary.
The king’s absence has already reshaped the royal calendar: with him sidelined, it’s his son Prince Haakon who has stepped in to handle the duties of head of state. Harald is now a week into his hospital stay, and this weekend brought a steady stream of visitors from every generation of his family.
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesThe family closes ranks
Over the weekend, Oslo’s National Hospital saw visit after visit from the royal family, led by Queen Sonja. Also spotted was 94-year-old Princess Astrid, King Harald’s sister. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit also made multiple trips to the hospital, as reported by the outlet Se og Hør. Haakon was seen arriving by car at the hospital again this Monday.
Harald’s grandchildren have been watching his condition closely as well. Princess Ingrid, 22, and Prince Sverre, 20 — Haakon and Mette-Marit’s children — were seen at the hospital in casual sportswear. For Ingrid in particular, it was a notably public appearance, coming as it did in the wake of her mother’s own lung transplant.
Princess Märtha Louise and her husband, Durek Verrett — the Hollywood-favored shaman — were also reported to have visited, along with two of Märtha Louise’s three daughters, Maud Angelica and Leah Isadora, per Se og Hør. Between the number of visitors and the span of the weekend, it’s clear the king hasn’t spent much of it alone.
© HEIKO JUNGEWhat is hemolytic anemia?
The hemolytic anemia affecting King Harald is a condition in which red blood cells break down faster than the body can replace them, lowering the overall blood count. Symptoms can range from heart palpitations and shortness of breath to fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
This isn’t new territory for the king. In February 2024, while vacationing privately in Malaysia with Queen Sonja, Harald was hospitalized after an infection set off alarm bells; doctors fitted him with a temporary pacemaker after detecting a low heart rate, wanting to ensure he could travel back to Norway safely.
He returned home that March and was admitted to Oslo’s National Hospital. Two years later, in February 2026, a similar scare unfolded during a vacation in Tenerife, resulting in a hospitalization on the Canary Islands due to an infection and dehydration. His current hospitalization is his most serious yet.
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