King Harald hospitalised in Norway after return from Malaysia
King Harald of Norway returned home from Malaysia on Sunday after falling ill on holiday and spending several days in hospital, the royal palace said.
Norway's state broadcaster showed footage of his plane landing just before 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) in the capital, Oslo.
"His Majesty the King arrived in Norway this evening," said a palace statement. The flight had gone well and the king was recovering, it added.
The oldest reigning monarch in Europe at 87 years old, Harald contracted an infection on a trip to the island of Langkawi and was admitted to hospital last Tuesday.
The palace said on Saturday that he had been fitted with a "temporary" pacemaker, which his personal physician said would make his return safer.
Sunday's palace statement said the king would be hospitalised in Oslo for further checks and several days' rest.
"His Majesty will be on sick leave for two weeks," said an earlier palace statement.
A medical plane believed to be transporting the king had taken off from Langkawi on Sunday afternoon, after police escorted a convoy that included an ambulance from the hospital to the airport, an AFP journalist saw.
Harald needs crutches to get around and has suffered a series of health issues in recent years.
He caught a respiratory infection in January, days after dismissing speculation that he might abdicate, following the lead of distant cousin Queen Margrethe II in Denmark.
In his absence, Crown Prince Haakon, 50, has stepped in as regent.
Comments
See Also
Norway's state broadcaster showed footage of his plane landing just before 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) in the capital, Oslo.
"His Majesty the King arrived in Norway this evening," said a palace statement. The flight had gone well and the king was recovering, it added.
The oldest reigning monarch in Europe at 87 years old, Harald contracted an infection on a trip to the island of Langkawi and was admitted to hospital last Tuesday.
The palace said on Saturday that he had been fitted with a "temporary" pacemaker, which his personal physician said would make his return safer.
Sunday's palace statement said the king would be hospitalised in Oslo for further checks and several days' rest.
"His Majesty will be on sick leave for two weeks," said an earlier palace statement.
A medical plane believed to be transporting the king had taken off from Langkawi on Sunday afternoon, after police escorted a convoy that included an ambulance from the hospital to the airport, an AFP journalist saw.
Harald needs crutches to get around and has suffered a series of health issues in recent years.
He caught a respiratory infection in January, days after dismissing speculation that he might abdicate, following the lead of distant cousin Queen Margrethe II in Denmark.
In his absence, Crown Prince Haakon, 50, has stepped in as regent.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.