4-3-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) King Harald V of Norway arrived in Oslo on Sunday after undergoing a pacemaker implantation procedure while on holiday in Malaysia.
The 87-year-old monarch, Europe’s oldest reigning king, was hospitalized for an infection during his private vacation on the northern resort island of Langkawi, as announced by the royal house last Tuesday.
King Harald underwent surgery at Sultanah Maliha Hospital on Saturday to have a temporary pacemaker implanted due to a low heart rate, according to the royal house.
Norwegian media reports stated that Harald had traveled to Malaysia with his wife, Queen Sonja, to celebrate his 87th birthday. A Scandinavian Airlines medical evacuation plane, previously used as a flying ambulance, departed from Oslo on Thursday and arrived in Langkawi on Friday to transport the king.
Flightradar24 data showed that the same plane left Langkawi on Sunday, heading for Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates before continuing its journey to Oslo Airport.
The Norwegian royal house confirmed the king’s arrival and announced that he would be admitted to Oslo’s Rikshospitalet hospital. King Harald will be on sick leave for the next two weeks, during which Crown Prince Haakon will assume his duties, according to the palace.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, as reported by Norwegian news agency NTB, stated that the king’s transportation back to Norway cost an estimated 2 million Norwegian kroner ($190,000), which will be covered by the defense budget.
In recent years, the aging Norwegian monarch has faced several health issues and has been admitted to the hospital for treatment on multiple occasions. In October 2020, Harald underwent heart valve replacement surgery after being hospitalized for breathing difficulties.
Despite his frail health, King Harald has expressed no intention to abdicate, unlike his second cousin Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who stepped down earlier this year.
As Norway’s head of state, Harald’s role is primarily ceremonial, and he holds no political power. He ascended to the throne following the death of his father, King Olav, in 1991.
