UPDATED: Norway’s Royal Palace announced Friday that King Harald V, who was put on sick leave Thursday because of pain in a leg and foot, was now scheduled to undergo a knee operation during the weekend. He’ll remain on sick leave until February 14.
Crown Prince Haakon had been called upon to officiate at Friday’s weekly Council of State with the government, after his father went on sick leave. The 83-year-old monarch has been using a cane in recent public appearances.
Neither doctors nor the Royal Palace offered more details on the nature of the problem, but state broadcaster NRK initially reported that the king would only be out sick until January 31 (Sunday). That’s now been extended, with the operation at Norway’s national hospital (Rikshospitalet) set for Saturday morning.
It’s been a rough past year for Norway’s official head of state. He was hospitalized for dizziness in January and then underwent heart surgery in October but has recovered well. All scheduled meetings next week have now been cancelled.
newsinenglish.no staff
