Norway's King Harald To Remain In Hospital On Tenerife

COPENHAGEN, Feb 26  (Bernama-dpa) -- Norway's King Harald V will have to stay in hospital on the Spanish island of Tenerife for a few more days for observation and further treatment, his doctor said in a statement issued by the royal court on Wednesday, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

The 89-year-old monarch is said to be in good general health and is responding well to treatment.

He was admitted to the Hospiten Sur University Hospital on Tuesday during a private holiday on Tenerife with Queen Sonja, 88, due to an infection and dehydration. 

The king's personal physician, Bjørn Bendz, arrived in the Canary Islands on Wednesday and said that the infection stems from an inflammation in Harald's leg.

"When someone who is almost 90 years old is admitted to hospital with an infection, it is serious," Bendz said in a statement.

"That is why it is necessary to get a good overview of the king's state of health before he can leave hospital, even if his condition is currently stable," Bendz explained.

Harald is the oldest reigning monarch in Europe. He celebrated his 89th birthday a few days ago. He had travelled to Tenerife privately with the queen to spend his winter holiday there. 

This is not the first time Harald has been taken to hospital while on holiday. In 2024, he had to be admitted to hospital during a stay in Malaysia, where he was fitted with a temporary pacemaker.

--BERNAMA-dpa