A few days ago, the monarch had to be hospitalized while on vacation in Malaysia. This is how King Harald feels now.
On February 21st, Norway's King Harald V celebrated his 87th birthday. Shortly afterwards, however, disturbing news about him became public: the monarch had fallen ill while on holiday in Malaysia and was in hospital, the palace announced on Tuesday. He has an infection and is being cared for by both Malaysian and Norwegian medics, the statement continued.
Now there is an update on King Harald's condition: He will be able to return to his homeland “in a few days.” According to his doctor, the 87-year-old is recovering well, the palace announced on Thursday. The aim is for the king to “be able to travel home by plane in a few days”.
According to the palace, the monarch's transport is being organized by the Norwegian government, and the army is responsible for “the practical arrangements for the journey home.” “I'm happy that he can return home in a few days,” Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Störe told the NTB news agency.
Speculation about an abdication
Crown Prince Haakon had recently revealed to reporters in Finse, Norway, that his father was on the mend. The king was in a good mood during a telephone conversation. Harald's personal doctor arrived at the hospital in Malaysia and had a similar impression of the 87-year-old's condition.
Harald V is the oldest ruling monarch in Europe. The Norwegian head of state uses crutches and has repeatedly struggled with health problems in recent years. He had heart surgery and suffered from repeated respiratory infections. While on vacation in Malaysia a few days ago, the king had to be hospitalized again.
In January, Harald V, who has been King of Norway for 33 years, once again rejected speculation about an abdication: “I stick to what I have always said. That I swore an oath and it is for life,” he said Oslo. The reason for the clarification was the abdication of his distant cousin, the 83-year-old Margrethe II in Denmark, in January.
