Health of Norway's King Harald deteriorates over the weekend

OSLO, Norway, Aug 24, (AP): The health of King Harald of Norway deteriorated over the weekend, the royal palace said. The 89-year-old monarch, who has been on sick leave for several weeks, was admitted to the National Hospital a week ago. He has been on sick leave for several weeks. He is now receiving antibiotics for a bacterial blood infection and has responded to treatment, the palace said late Sunday, adding that his condition is stable.

His son, Crown Prince Haakon, has been serving as regent during that time, the palace said. The king suffers from hemolytic anemia and was being treated with cortisone, leading to fluid accumulation in the body that required hospital treatment, the palace said last week. Harald, who has been monarch since 1991, has been in and out of the hospital several times in recent years.

In February, he was admitted to a hospital in Spain’s Canary Islands during a winter vacation for treatment for a skin infection. Two years ago, the king fell ill during a private vacation with the queen in Malaysia and received a temporary pacemaker there. Harald returned aboard a medical airplane to Norway, where he was fitted with a permanent pacemaker.