Norway's King Harald V in 'extremely serious' condition, royal family gathers at Oslo hospital
Norway's King Harald V, Europe's oldest head of state, is in "extremely serious" condition in Oslo University Hospital, the royal household said on Thursday, prompting members of the Norwegian royal family to gather at his bedside, according to the BBC. The 89-year-old monarch has been hospitalised for 10 days receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia, a rare blood condition that reduces red blood cells and causes fatigue and shortness of breath, the BBC reports.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Thu, 27 August 2026 · 2 min read
Norway's King Harald V, Europe's oldest head of state, is in "extremely serious" condition in Oslo University Hospital, the royal household said on Thursday, prompting members of the Norwegian royal family to gather at his bedside, according to the BBC. The 89-year-old monarch has been hospitalised for 10 days receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia, a rare blood condition that reduces red blood cells and causes fatigue and shortness of breath, the BBC reports.
Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon, 53, who has been serving as regent during his father's sick leave, cancelled royal engagements and were joined at the hospital by Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Astrid, and Haakon and Mette-Marit's children Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, the BBC says. Marius Borg Høiby, the stepson of the crown prince, also visited, the BBC adds; he is under house arrest during an appeal against a conviction for rape. Crowds gathered in Palace Square in Oslo throughout the day, and Norwegian public television scrapped its regular schedule to cover developments, according to the BBC.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre cancelled a planned trip to Germany, where he had been due to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday. "The whole nation is with us as we send warm thoughts to the king and the rest of the royal family," he said in a statement quoted by the BBC. King Harald has been treated in recent weeks with cortisone for haemolytic anaemia; he was fitted with a pacemaker in 2024 after falling ill on holiday in Malaysia, the BBC reports.
Harald has been on the Norwegian throne since 1991. The developments come during a difficult year for the royal family: Crown Princess Mette-Marit received a lung transplant in June, the BBC says. The palace issued a later update on Thursday evening saying the king's condition was unchanged, the BBC reports, as the country awaited further news.
**Sources:** BBC
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