'It is serious': King's doctor rushes to his bedside after monarch hospitalised on holidays

Norway's ageing monarch is "responding well to treatment" in hospital but his doctor has described the situation as "serious".

King Harald V was admitted to hospital in Tenerife on Tuesday, suffering from an infection and dehydration.

The 89-year-old was on a private holiday in Spain with his wife Queen Sonja when he fell ill.

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

The monarch was admitted to the Hospiten Sur University Hospital on the holiday island where he will remain "for a few more days for observation and further treatment".

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

In an update provided by the Royal House on Thursday morning AEDT, Bendz said: "The King's general condition is good, and he is responding well to treatment".

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"The infection stems from a skin infection in one of his legs. The King will remain in the hospital for a few more days for observation and further treatment.

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

"It is important that we get a good overview and control of the King's health before he is discharged – even if his condition is stable now."

Queen Sonja, who is 88, has also visited her husband in hospital.

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, meaning the monarch was originally due back in Norway by then.

The King has been keeping a busy schedule of late, despite his advancing years.

In early February he and Queen Sonja travelled to Italy for the start of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

But the King's health has been in decline.

In April, 2024, the Royal House announced King Harald would be making a "permanent reduction" to his public engagements "out of consideration for his age".

The announcement came months after the King was admitted to hospital while on holidays in Malaysia, in February of that year. The monarch was treated for an undisclosed infection he contracted while staying on the resort island of Langkawi. Once he returned to Norway, the King was fitted with a pacemaker to treat a low heart rate.

Despite his advancing years, the King actually increased his workload in 2025. He carried out 233 official engagements in 2025, up from 193 in 2024.

Royal observers in Norway say the King took on more engagements in an attempt to boost the monarchy's image as the institution experiences one of its most challenging periods in modern history.

Earlier this month Norway's future queen, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, issued a second statement in as many weeks after her past links with Jeffrey Epstein came to light in the release of three million pages of texts and emails by the US Department of Justice.

The newly-released Epstein files appear to suggest 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, for the second time, for having any contact with Epstein

Meanwhile, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby is on trial for rape and assault and the case has been dominated headlines since it began on February 3.

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 is due to run until early March.

In a recent private Instagram post that was leaked to the media, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Høiby's sister, said of the recent scandals, "I am going crazy. When is enough."

The princess is now back in Australia studying at the University of Sydney. She began a three-year degree in August.

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.

Last week, new polling was released revealing dire news for the royal family.

Just 60 per cent of people support the monarchy, down from 70 per cent a month ago.

The figure is is the lowest Norstat has ever measured for NRK, Norway's national broadcaster.

The last time the numbers were that drastic were in September, 2024, when support for the monarchy sat at 62 per cent. That was around the time of Høiby's arrest and the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise to American shaman Durek Verrett.

A year later, the couple took part in the controversial documentary Rebel Royals, sparking anger from Norwegians about the use of Märtha Louise's royal title. The palace reacted with swift condemnation.

However, support for King Harald remains high.

His approval rating sits at 9.2 out of 10, his wife Queen Sonja is at 8.6, Crown Prince Haakon is at 7.9 but Crown Princess Mette-Marit's popularity has fallen dramatically to 3.7 down from 7.4.

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