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KING HARALD

Norway’s King Harald has sick leave extended

King Harald is still under medical investigation and his sick leave is to be extended, the palace in Oslo has confirmed.

Published: 5 October 2020 11:13 CEST
Norway’s King Harald has sick leave extended
King Harald with Crown Prince Haakon in 2018. File photo: AFP

The king was admitted to Rikshospitalet in Oslo last month after suffering breathing difficulties. Covid-19 was quickly ruled out as a potential cause of his condition and he was subsequently discharged.

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His sick leave has now been extended, with his condition under ongoing investigation, the palace confirmed on its website.

That means Crown Prince Haakon will continue to deputise, taking over the king’s official duties while he is on leave.

This includes presiding over the Council of State [Statsråd in Norwegian, ed.] with senior government representatives on Monday October 5th, according to the palace statement.

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WORKING IN SWEDEN

Swedish Royal Guards scrap ceremonial helmets over safety concerns

The King’s mounted Royal Guards will no longer be able to wear their iconic ceremonial helmets on parades, after the Swedish Work Environment Authority warned of serious safety concerns.

Published: 7 July 2023 13:53 CEST
Swedish Royal Guards scrap ceremonial helmets over safety concerns

“We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously and we are going to address this immediately,” colonel Stefan Nacksten, head of the Royal Guards, wrote in a statement. 

Employed by the Armed Forces, the Royal Guards are the King’s cavalry and infantry units and are a well-known sight at ceremonies in Sweden, including at the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace of Stockholm every day in summer – a popular spectacle for Stockholmers and tourists alike.

The helmets will no longer be used by Royal Guards on horseback from July 7th, as they do not conform to safety standards for riding helmets, although guards parading on foot will still be permitted to wear them.

They are part of the 1895 parade uniforms and were last modified in 2000. The Armed Forces will now create an entirely new helmet which looks the part, but is also safe for riding.

“We’re working on finding an alternative solution as quickly as possible which meets safety requirements and can also be used during parades,” Nacksten said.

“We’ve been working long-term with this issue but now that it has been assessed [by the Swedish Work Environment Authority] we need to take measures immediately,” he added.

“This is good, and now we’re working to make sure something good comes out of this and we can get a safe riding helmet for parades in place as soon as possible.”

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