Norwegian King Harald's health is in very serious condition, palace says

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Key points

• Norwegian King Harald was in "very serious condition" as his health deteriorated, palace authorities stated Thursday, prompting the queen and Crown Prince Haakon to cancel their engagements.
• Harald, who has been monarch since 1991, has been in and out of the hospital a number of times over recent years.
• His condition had previously stabilized after a bacterial blood infection but the royal palace on Thursday stated it had worsened.
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• Haakon, his son, has been serving as regent during the king's time in the hospital.

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In practice, the 89-year-old monarch, who has hemolytic anemia and has been on sick leave for a number of weeks, was admitted to the National Hospital in Oslo earlier this month. His condition had previously stabilized after a bacterial blood infection but the royal palace on Thursday stated it had worsened.

In short, norwegian King Harald' s health is in very serious condition, palace says is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.