Norway's ageing King 'still recovering' after hospital admission

Norway's King will remain in Tenerife for the immediate future rather than returning to Oslo while he recovers from an infection which saw him admitted to hospital.

The 89-year-old was discharged late last week after spending two days in the Hospiten Sur University Hospital on Spanish holiday island.

The King's personal doctor, Bjørn Bendz, flew from Oslo to Tenerife to assess the situation and help the local medical team.

"His general condition is good, and he is being followed up by health personnel," Bendz said of the King in an update shared by the Royal House on Tuesday AEDT.

The King's doctor said the monarch had "responded well to treatment and recovered quickly" after being admitted to hospital suffering from an infection in one of his legs and dehydration.

"When people of almost 90 years old are admitted with an infection, it is serious," Bendz said last week.

King Harald, who has been on Norway's throne for 35 years and is Europe's oldest-serving monarch, celebrated his 89th birthday on February 21.

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The King was on a private holiday in Spain with his wife Queen Sonja when he fell ill.

"His Majesty the King is still recovering, and the Royal Couple will continue their private stay in Tenerife," the Royal House said on Tuesday.

The King's son and heir, Crown Prince Haakon, is regent while the monarch is in hospital.

Prior to the King's hospitalisation, Haakon was due to act as regent until March 6, according to the Royal House's calendar.

It is not known when the King and Queen will return home.

Crown Prince Haakon was asked about his father's health on Monday when he visited the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs in Oslo.

"The king is doing better," he said.

"He is responding well to the treatment. We are happy about that and grateful for all the care that has come these days.

"But it seems that he is on the road to recovery now, so that is nice."

In April 2024, King Harald reduced his workload due to his age and his declining health after he had surgery to install a pacemaker.

But he actually increased his diary last year, carrying out more official engagements than expected.

The King's most recent health scare comes at a critical time for Norway's royal family as it deals with the fallout from the criminal trial of Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

Høiby has denied four allegations of rape as well as other serious charges against him. If convicted, the 29-year-old faces 10 years in prison.

The trial has been underway since February 3 and is due to conclude in the next week or so.

The Crown Princess retreated from public life when her son's trial began but broke cover to apologise for her past correspondence with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Mette-Marit had exchanged more than 100 cordial emails and texts with Epstein while fully aware he had been jailed for sex offences against an underage girl in 2008.

She apologised twice, in separate statements, for having any contact with Epstein

"I also apologise for the situation I have put the royal family in, especially the King and Queen," Mette-Marit said.

The 52-year-old admitted to showing "poor judgement" and said the situation was "simply embarrassing".

The Crown Prince couple's daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is now back in Australia studying at the University of Sydney. She began a three-year degree in August but returned to Norway during the Christmas and New Year break.

In a recent private Instagram post that was leaked to the media, the 22-year-old said of the recent scandals, "I am going crazy. When is enough."

Princess Ingrid Alexandra is in line to the throne after her father and, when the time comes, she will make history by becoming Norway's first queen regnant in more than 600 years.

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