King Harald is reported sick with a viral infection, confirms communications manager Guri Ofstad Varpe at the Royal Court to NTB.
“He is sick with a viral infection, but he is doing well. We believe he will be back in a couple of days,” Crown Prince Haakon told NTB.
The King, who is 82 years old, did not attend the extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Wednesday when FrP’s Sylvi Listhaug and Terje Søviknes were appointed new Ministers.
On Friday, an ordinary government meeting will be held, and then the Crown Prince will be present at the Palace together with the government. It was not known on Thursday afternoon whether the king will be absent.
Varpe did not answer questions about the severity of the disease.
Christmas celebrations
The royal couple is scheduled to celebrate Christmas with Princess Märtha Louise at Kongsseteren, which is their private property at Voksenkollen in Oslo.
In recent years, the Crown Prince family has alternated between celebrating Christmas at Kongsseteren, Skaugum and the family’s cabin in Uvdal in Buskerud, and this year there will be a celebration at the cabin.
When asked if the infection will have any consequences for the Christmas celebration, the Crown Prince replies that he hope’s not.
On the first Christmas day, the royal couple will be scheduled to attend the service in Holmenkollen chapel.
Varpe will not comment on whether there will be any changes in the royal family’s Christmas plans.
Health challenges
In December 2003, King Harald was diagnosed with bladder cancer. On December 8th of that year, the tumor was removed in what the doctors described as a very successful operation.
After the operation, the King was on sick leave for several months, and barely a year after getting the all-clear he was again affected by illness. This time there was a heart valve that failed, and the King had to go through two major operations at the National Hospital.
One Friday in November 2017, the King was admitted to the National Hospital (Rikshospitalet) with an infection, but was out again the following Monday in fine form, the Palace reported.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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