Crown Princess Mette-Marit Visits Hospitalized Father-in-Law King Harald

Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon visited King Harald V at the National Hospital in Oslo. The visit occurred hours after the King's 94-year-old sister, Princess Astrid, had also visited him. Images of the visit were reported by the Norwegian news agency NTB.

The Norwegian Royal House announced on Monday that the 89-year-old monarch had been admitted for a medical examination. King Harald has been undergoing cortisone treatment for the blood disorder hemolytic anemia in recent weeks. This condition leads to fluid accumulation in the body. According to health information, hemolytic anemia involves a reduced lifespan of red blood cells, potentially causing anemia if the body cannot compensate for the loss.

Symptoms of the condition can include fatigue, dizziness, and heart palpitations. The Royal Court stated on Monday that King Harald would be on sick leave for two weeks. NTB noted that Crown Princess Mette-Marit's visit to her father-in-law is among her first public appearances since receiving new lungs in June.

The 52-year-old Crown Princess underwent the lung transplant earlier this summer due to a life-threatening worsening of her incurable lung fibrosis, diagnosed in 2018. She had a successful transplant on June 17. Chief physician Are Holm stated shortly after the procedure that the Crown Princess would undergo rehabilitation for the next six months, with close monitoring for potential complications like rejection and infections. He added that a typical recovery period to a more stable phase often takes about a year.