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King Harald V of Norway has been hospitalized on the Spanish island of Tenerife after falling ill with an infection and dehydration, the Norwegian royal house announced on Tuesday evening. The 89-year-old monarch, Europe's oldest reigning sovereign, was admitted to Hospiten Sur University Hospital in the south of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where he and Queen Sonja had been on a private winter holiday.
The royal house said the King's personal physician would travel to Tenerife to assist local medical staff, adding that an update on his condition would be provided on Wednesday, February 25, after the physician had assessed the situation.
Harald celebrated his 89th birthday just three days before the hospitalization, underscoring growing concerns about the aging monarch's health.
The hospitalization marks the second time in roughly a year that Harald has required emergency medical care while vacationing overseas. In 2024, he was hospitalized in Malaysia, also for an infection, during a private trip. The recurrence of similar health episodes has intensified public discussion in Norway about the King's ability to continue fulfilling his duties.
Despite those concerns, Harald has repeatedly dismissed any suggestion of stepping down. When asked earlier in 2024, following the abdication of Denmark's Queen Margrethe, whether he might consider a similar move, the King was unequivocal: "I stick by what I've always said, that I swore an oath to the Storting and it is for life."
Harald ascended to the throne in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, and has reigned for more than three decades. He is married to Queen Sonja, and the couple have two children, Princess Martha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon. Although Martha Louise is the elder sibling, the Norwegian constitution restricted inheritance to male heirs until 1990. Under the revised rules, Haakon's eldest daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is currently second in line to the throne. Martha Louise stepped down from royal duties in 2022 and was recently the subject of the Netflix documentary Rebel Royals.
Harald's hospitalization comes at a turbulent time for the Norwegian monarchy. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Haakon's wife, faces heightened scrutiny over her past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Separately, Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, is currently on trial in Oslo on 38 criminal charges including rape and harassment.
Speaking about the Hoiby case in December, King Harald struck a conciliatory tone. "Our thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected," he said. "Not only in our own family, but also to everyone else who has been affected. We feel for them and hope that they are doing well and will feel better after the trial."
Hoiby's lawyers have said their client is "taking the accusations very serious" but does not acknowledge wrongdoing in most of the cases, "especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence."
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