King Harald's health has deteriorated. New information from the hospital

The Norwegian Royal Court (Kongehuset) announced that Harald's condition worsened over the weekend of August 22–23. The king remains at Rikshospitalet, where he was previously admitted due to hemolytic anemia. The monarch is on leave from his duties until further notice.

Royal family expert Tove Taalesen told Nettavisen that the deterioration of the monarch's health is worrying news. However, she drew attention to one phrase in the Kongehuset statement: the information that the king's condition is stable. Taalesen emphasized that she wants to focus on those words. She also added that Harald is under good medical care at Rikshospitalet.

TV 2 royal family expert Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen also spoke to Nettavisen. He noted that another statement was initially expected later in the week, but Kongehuset decided to release information earlier due to the king's deteriorating condition. The expert considered the quick update to the public a sign of open information flow. He also pointed out that the monarch is responding well to infection treatment. In his opinion, more frequent updates can be expected in the coming days.

Professor of geriatrics Leiv Otto Watne from Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) told NRK that a bacterial blood infection can be serious. However, much depends on the individual patient. Watne explained that the type of bacteria, the source of the infection, and the patient's overall condition all matter. He considered the king's response to therapy a positive sign. He cautioned, however, that he does not know the detailed data on which the effectiveness of the treatment was assessed.

NRK also spoke with Håkon Ihle Hansen, head physician at Bærum Hospital and chairman of the Norwegian Geriatrics Society. The doctor noted that people in poorer health are more susceptible to further illnesses and infections. He recalled that Harald has already been hospitalized several times with various health problems. According to Hansen, infections are one of the most common reasons for elderly people to be admitted to hospital. The infection could have appeared before hospitalization or developed during the stay in the facility.

King Harald is 89 years old and was admitted to Rikshospitalet on August 17 after previous treatment for hemolytic anemia with cortisone, which led to fluid accumulation in his body. Before hospitalization, the monarch had planned further trips around Norway with Queen Sonja. Some of the king's planned visits to Trøndelag and Telemark have already been canceled.