The health of 89-year-old King Harald V of Norway has worsened over the weekend, according to an official statement from the Royal Court. The king — Europe’s oldest reigning monarch — has been hospitalized since last Monday at Oslo University Hospital due to complications related to hemolytic anemia, a blood disorder that causes the premature destruction of red blood cells.
Deterioration and Treatment
‘The health condition of His Majesty the King deteriorated over the weekend,’ the Royal Court announced. ‘The King is receiving antibiotics to treat a bacterial bloodstream infection and is responding well to this treatment.’
A Longstanding Health Struggle
King Harald ascended the throne in 1991 and has faced multiple health challenges in recent years, including heart surgery and ongoing management of his blood condition. Despite his age and medical issues, he has consistently ruled out abdication.
Family Support and Constitutional Role
In recent days, members of the royal family — including Crown Prince Haakon, who serves as regent during the king’s absence — have been at his bedside. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Haakon’s wife, has also been present, though her own health remains fragile following a lung transplant in July.
Broader Context: Scandal and Scrutiny
These latest developments come amid heightened public scrutiny of the Norwegian royal family. In late January, U.S. court documents revealed private correspondence between Crown Princess Mette-Marit and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014 — exchanges described by some media outlets as unusually familiar in tone. Though no wrongdoing has been alleged against the princess, the disclosure reignited debate about transparency and conduct within the monarchy.
Compounding the pressure, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, 29-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced in June to four years in prison without parole for two rapes and 32 additional charges, including assault against a former partner. He has filed an appeal. The princess, 53, also lives with a chronic, incurable lung disease — the same condition that necessitated her life-saving transplant earlier this year.