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KING HARALD

Norway’s King Harald taken to hospital with breathing difficulties

Norway's 83-year-old King Harald V was admitted to hospital early on Friday.

Norway's King Harald taken to hospital with breathing difficulties
King Harald with Queen Sonja earlier this year. Photo: AFP

The palace in Oslo has confirmed that the King had been suffering with difficulty breathing. Covid-19 has been ruled out as a potential cause, NRK reports.

The king, who has been on the throne for 29 years, is now on sick leave and Crown Prince Haakon will take over his duties temporarily, the palace said in a brief statement.

A keen yachtsman who has taken part in regattas including the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, King Harald and is seen by Norwegians as a unifying figure.

He has insisted he will not abdicate despite declining health that saw him spend a week in hospital in January after a bout of dizziness.

In the early 2000s, he underwent surgery for bladder cancer and later to repair a heart valve.

Harald became king on January 17, 1991 after the death of his father.

READ ALSO: Norway celebrates 25 years of King Harald

 

 

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KING HARALD

Norway’s King Harald leaves hospital after heart surgery

King Harald has been discharged from Rikshospitalet in Oslo after undergoing a heart operation on Friday.

Norway’s King Harald leaves hospital after heart surgery
A photo reportedly of King Harald on the way to hospital last week. Photo: AFP

The Norwegian palace confirmed to news wire NTB that the king was to leave hospital following the procedure three days ago.

“The king is in good form and will travel home from Rikshospitalet today,” the king’s doctor, consultant Bjørn Bendz, said in the statement.

The palace had confirmed during the weekend that the king was well after the procedure to fix an artificial valve he received during a previous operation in 2005.

Artificial valves of the type the king received have a life span of 10-15 years. As such, it is not uncommon for them to be replaced.

“His majesty the king is well after yesterday’s intervention. The king has been for a short stroll, and his condition is good,” Bendz said in a statement on Saturday.

Last month, the king spent a short time in hospital due to respiratory problems unrelated to Covid-19.

He is currently on indefinite sick leave, with his son Crown Prince Haakon deputising the king’s royal duties.

READ ALSO: Norwegian king's 1967 Cadillac goes on sale online

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