Sick in Malaysia: Concern for Norwegian King Harald V.

Sick in Malaysia
Concerned about the Norwegian King Harald V

February 28, 2024 at 9:01 pm

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Europe's oldest king has been suffering from health problems for months. Now King Harald V of Norway has to go to hospital again. The 87-year-old man suffers from an infection at his holiday home on an island in Malaysia. Now his personal doctor is taking care of him.

King Harald V of Norway has been hospitalized on the Malaysian tourist island of Langkawi due to an infection. The palace said the 87-year-old was in somewhat better condition. His personal doctor has arrived in Langkawi. Crown Prince Haakon confirmed the improvement after a phone call with his father. “He needs some rest now. So it looks like things are going better,” he said.

Harald, Europe's oldest king, fell ill while on vacation with his wife, Sonja. Malaysian news agency Bernama reported that Harald was receiving treatment at Sultana Mleiha Hospital on the island. The report quoted an unnamed source as saying that the Saudi king was staying in the royal ward of the hospital. The hospital declined to comment.

Crown Prince Haakon said his father was in good spirits. The hospital is very good. “We don't know when he'll come home. We'll have to decide later.” Haakon and his wife, Mette-Marit, will travel to southern Norway as planned, NTB news agency reported. The first official date after Harald's scheduled return from vacation was the Council of State meeting at the end of next week.

The Royal Palace in Oslo announced on Tuesday that the 87-year-old man had been infected, but did not provide further details. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Sture said that if the king had to go to hospital, whether in Norway or abroad, it would be a cause for concern. He added: “We must do everything we can to help bring the king home as quickly and as healthy as possible.”

King Harald has had to suffer increasingly from health problems in recent months. He uses crutches and has been hospitalized repeatedly since August. He last called in sick in January due to a respiratory infection. However, he has always stressed that he does not want to resign like his cousin Margaret II, Queen of Denmark, who retired in mid-January. Harald confirmed in mid-January that he would adhere to the oath he took when he took office in 1991, as he always said. “This applies to your whole life.”