Trending 
Norway’s 89-year-old King Harald V’s health has deteriorated over the weekend while receiving hospital treatment, the palace said Sunday.
The monarch, Europe’s oldest reigning king, is being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a condition that causes the rapid destruction of red blood cells.
“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 the treatment.
Harald was admitted to Oslo University Hospital on Monday after developing fluid retention linked to his cortisone treatment. He has been placed on sick leave for two weeks.
The palace had earlier announced that the King would miss a planned visit to Trondelag on September 1 and 2.
Several members of the royal family visited him in hospital on Sunday, including his wife, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the King’s sister.
Haakon is currently serving as regent while his father is unable to carry out his official duties.
Harald, who became king in 1991, has faced several health problems in recent years.
He has had a pacemaker fitted and reduced his official schedule but has repeatedly ruled out abdication. In February, the King was hospitalised in Tenerife for an infection and dehydration while on a private trip with Queen Sonja.
Queen Sonja was also briefly hospitalised in May for heart problems.
Harald’s latest health setback comes during a difficult period for the Norwegian royal family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has faced scrutiny over her past contact with Jeffrey Epstein, while her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, faces serious legal troubles.
Hoiby was sentenced in June to four years in prison for two rapes and 32 other charges, including violence against a former partner. He has appealed the verdict.
Mette-Marit, who has a serious lung condition, underwent a lung transplant in July.
Despite the challenges facing the royal family, the Norwegian monarchy remains broadly popular, with Harald widely regarded as a unifying figure.
