THE king of Norway has been rushed to hospital in a popular holiday hotspot, after falling ill during his annual winter vacation.
The 89-year-old royal was admitted to hospital for treatment in Tenerife after contracting an infection.
King Harald had been holidaying on the Spanish island with his wife, Queen Sonja.
The Royal House of Norway released a statement on Tuesday, saying: “His Majesty the King (Harald V) was admitted this evening to Hospital Universitario Hospiten Sur in Tenerife.”
“The King is being treated for an infection and dehydration, and his condition is, under the circumstances, good.”
The statement continued, saying a further update would be released once doctors had fully “assessed the situation”.
Harald has been Norway’s head of state since 1991 and is Europe’s oldest living monarch.
Earlier in the month, he attended the opening of the Total Defence Year 2026.
He was seen at the event with walking aids.
The King celebrated his 89th birthday on Saturday.
The Royal House of Norway broke with tradition on the special occasion after not releasing a solo portrait of the royal.
Instead, a photograph with Harald was released, where he was accompanied by his immediate heirs Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
Alongside the photo, the palace released a message on Instagram, which read: “Happy birthday to His Majesty King Harald!”.
“Today the King turns 89 – we congratulate him and wish him a truly wonderful celebration,” it continued.
“The photo of the King with Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra was taken earlier this winter in connection with the celebration of the Princess’s birthday.”
The King has been married to Queen Sonja for 58 years, despite their romance being “forbidden”.
The pair’s partnership was a flash point of contention for nearly a decade, with critics claiming the couple posed an existential threat to the royal family.
They met in their early 20s when they were both dinner guests of friend Johan Stenerse.
Following their introduction in 1959, Harald’s father King Olav was in strong opposition of the pairing.
Harald was training at the Norwegian Military Academy at the time.
Sonja came from humble beginnings, as her father was a clothing merchant.
Her background was seen as “not appropriate” for a partner of the Crown Prince.
This did not stop love-struck Harald, who had been taken by the already accomplished University of Oslo student.
While studying English, French, and Art History, Sonja had already completed study at a prestigious finishing school in Switzerland and a degree in dressmaking.
King Olav had forbidden his son to continue seeing Sonja when he discovered their romance.
In spite of this, the duo continued their relationship which became the topic of public rumour after five years.
Reports in the Norwegian media announcing the couple caused the House of Glücksburg to release a statement denying the relationship, saying the Crown Prince could never marry a commoner.
The intense pressure on the young couple forced them to break up many times, however they eventually found their way back together, and later married.
The couple’s relationship will be depicted in a new Amazon Prime series called Harald and Sonja.
