Arabic version: وضع الملك هارالد يتدهور والورود تُوضع أمام القصر

According to BBC News, Norwegians laid flowers outside the palace in Oslo after the royal household said King Harald V’s condition in hospital had become “extremely serious”. The 89-year-old king has been receiving treatment at Oslo University Hospital for 10 days for haemolytic anaemia, a rare blood condition.

Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and other members of the royal family cancelled engagements to be at the king’s bedside. They remained at the hospital for several hours, and Haakon later returned with Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Princess Astrid, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus were also among those who visited.

The palace said late on Thursday afternoon that the king’s condition was unchanged. Harald, who has been on the throne since 1991, is Europe’s oldest head of state. Crown Prince Haakon, 53, has been acting as regent while his father is on leave.

Haemolytic anaemia reduces the number of red blood cells in the body and can cause fatigue and shortness of breath. The king has been treated with cortisone in recent weeks. He has faced multiple health problems in recent years and had a pacemaker fitted in 2024 after falling ill while on holiday in Malaysia.

There was a sombre mood in Oslo, where crowds gathered in Palace Square and Norwegian public television dropped its scheduled programming to cover developments. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre cancelled a planned trip to Germany and said in a statement: “The whole nation is with us as we send warm thoughts to the king and the rest of the royal family.”