Norway’s aging king discharged from the hospital

Norway’s King Harald V has been discharged from an Oslo hospital where he had received intravenous antibiotics to treat an infection

Norway King (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Norway’s King Harald V was discharged Wednesday from an Oslo hospital where he had received treatment with intravenous antibiotics for an infection.

”The king is on the road to recovery, but will take it easy for a few days,” the Norwegian palace said in a brief statement. The 85-year-old monarch was hospitalized Monday at Rikshospitalet, which is part of the main hospital in Oslo.

The heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, had stepped in and taken over his father’s duties.

Harald, who has been seen using crutches in recent years, has been hospitalized several times in recent months, including for another infection in August. He went through a successful operation to replace a heart valve in October 2020 after being hospitalized with breathing difficulties.

Harald’s duties as Norway’s head of state are ceremonial, and he holds no political power. He ascended to the throne following the death of his father, King Olav, in 1991.