King of Norway is hospitalized in “extremely serious” condition

King Harald 5th of Norway is in state “extremely serious” at Oslo University Hospital, the Norwegian Royal House reported. Members of the royal family gathered at the monarch’s bedside this Thursday morning (Aug. 27, 2026). The information is from BBC.

Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon canceled all royal engagements to be by the king’s side. Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the king’s sister, Princess Astrid, also arrived at the hospital, according to Norwegian media.

Harald 5º, aged 89, has been hospitalized for more than a week to treat hemolytic anemia, a rare condition that reduces the number of red blood cells in the blood and causes fatigue and shortness of breath. He had been treated with cortisone in the weeks prior to admission.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre released a press release. “The entire nation stands with us in sending warm thoughts to the king and the rest of the royal family.”he stated.

Health history and difficult year for the family

Harald 5th has occupied the Norwegian throne since 1991 and is the longest-serving head of state in Europe. In 2024, he received a pacemaker after feeling ill while on vacation in Malaysia. In recent years, health problems have forced him to progressively reduce his royal duties.

Crown Prince Haakon, 53, serves as regent during his father’s absence.

The Norwegian royal family is going through a particularly turbulent period in 2026. In June, Mette-Marit received a lung transplant after being diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis in 2018.

The transplant was performed 2 days after Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, was sentenced to 4 years in prison for 2 counts of rape. Høiby, 29, denied the most serious charges and is expected to appeal the sentence. He was 4 years old when his mother married Haakon and does not have royal family status.

Earlier this year, documents revealed Mette-Marit’s frequent contact with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Crown Princess later apologized to the King and Queen of Norway for her 3-year friendship with Epstein and said she had “wrong judgment”. In an interview on national television, he stated that he wished he had never met the North American.