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The health of King Harald V of Norway, 89, has deteriorated over the weekend while he remains hospitalized for complications tied to a blood condition, the Norwegian royal palace said in a statement Sunday.
Harald, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, is being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a disorder in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them, producing fatigue, paleness and shortness of breath.
"His Majesty the King's health deteriorated over the weekend," the palace said. It added that the king "is receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection in his blood and has responded to this treatment."
Harald was admitted to Oslo University Hospital on Monday after developing fluid retention linked to the cortisone treatment he has been receiving for the anaemia. He was placed on sick leave for two weeks.
The palace had earlier said the king had canceled a planned visit to the central Trondelag region, scheduled for September 1 and 2, which would have fallen after the initial sick-leave period was set to end.
Harald ascended the Norwegian throne in 1991. He has faced repeated health problems in recent years but has consistently ruled out abdicating. Several family members, including Crown Prince Haakon, who is serving as regent during his father's hospitalization, have visited him in the hospital.
The king's declining health comes amid broader turmoil for Norway's royal household. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Haakon's wife, has faced scrutiny over her ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier and convicted sex offender.
Separately, Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was sentenced in June to four years in prison on two rape convictions and 32 other charges, including violence against a former partner. He has appealed the verdict.
Despite the strain, the royal family continues to enjoy broad popularity among Norwegians.
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