King Harald, 89, hospitalised with rare blood disease as palace reveals he's on sick leave

King Harald has been admitted to hospital and put on sick leave, the palace has announced.

The Norwegian monarch, 89, was taken to the National Hospital in Oslo on Monday with a rare blood condition called haemolytic anaemia, which led to fluid accumulation in the body. 

In a statement, the Norwegian Palace confirmed that Europe's oldest monarch had "been treated with cortisone for the blood disease hemolytic anemia in recent weeks. This has led to fluid accumulation in the body that requires treatment in hospital". 

Just days earlier, the King had been taken to hospital for a routine medical check-up, with the Palace denying it was anything serious. 

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They added that the King will take time away from public life for the next two weeks, with his son, Crown Prince Haakon, acting as regent in the meantime. 

A note in the Royal House's calendar added: "His Majesty The King is on sick leave. His Royal Highness The Crown Prince is Regent during the period." They did not provide further comment on his scheduled recovery. 

The King and Queen are currently scheduled to visit the Rindal municipality in Trøndelag on 1 September.  

What is haemolytic anaemia?

Haemolytic anaemia causes the number of red blood cells in the body to be reduced, leading to fatigue and shortness of breath.

The sole cause is not always obvious, but it can be caused by infections, other autoimmune conditions or certain drugs. 

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Symptoms may include breathlessness, feeling tired, heart palpitations or chest pain. 

Those who have had the disease for a while may start to develop physical symptoms such as yellowish skin. 

Treatment plans usually involve immunosuppressant drugs such as steroids. 

King Harald's recent health struggles 

Harald made a "permanent reduction" to his public engagements in 2024 "out of consideration for his health", the Palace said. 

In February, he was taken to hospital in Tenerife while on holiday with Queen Sonia due to infection and dehydration. 

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He was previously hospitalised during a stay in Malaysia in 2024 and was fitted with a pacemaker on his return. 

In January 2024, he was put on "sick leave" due to a respiratory infection. He was also hospitalised for infections in May and December 2023. In October 2020, he had an operation to replace a heart valve, and in 2003, he underwent surgery for bladder cancer.

It comes just weeks after Harald's daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, underwent a lung transplant in June after her pulmonary fibrosis worsened.