Today we all stand by his side at the National Hospital, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Crown Prince Haakon and Queen Sonja are cancelling all their engagements, the court announcedon its website. In addition, the King's Life Guards are cancelling Friday's planned activities.
The Queen, the Crown Prince, Princess Märtha Louise and several other family members have been by the King's side at the National Hospital in Oslo during the day. According to NRK, in the late afternoon everyone except Queen Sonja and Princess Märtha Louise had been seen leaving the hospital.
The seriousness of the situation is underlined by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre cancelling Thursday's planned trip to Berlin. The Norwegian College of Bishops and the Speaker of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani, are also cancelling ongoing trips and rushing home to Oslo.
I am deeply moved that the king's condition is so serious, Støre told TV2 on Thursday evening, and continued:
The family has gathered with him and today we are all standing by his side at the National Hospital.
Support from Sweden
King Harald has been treated for hemolytic anemia, a form of anemia, in recent weeks. He was admitted to Rikshospitalet on August 17, and over the weekend it was announced that the king had received antibiotics for a bacterial infection in the blood.
We should prepare for the worst, says chief physician Bjørn Tore Gjertsen to NRK.
Sweden's royal family "gives its full support," writes VG, citing a spokesperson for the Swedish court.
Harald V, whose motto is "Everything for Norway", has been the king of Norway since 1991. His health began to falter in 2024, when he fell ill during a trip to Malaysia and had a pacemaker implanted.
The last few years have been turbulent, with Mette-Marit's lung transplant and contacts with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in focus, along with the rape trial of Marius Borg Høiby, the Crown Princess's son from a previous relationship.
Princess Märtha Louise's marriage to the scandal-ridden "shaman" Durek Verrett in 2024 also affected confidence in the Norwegian royal family.
Gather at the castle
But in polls, Norwegians' support for King Harald has remained high. On Thursday, Oslo residents flocked to Slottsplassen in front of the royal palace and laid flowers on a steadily growing mound.
One of them is 19-year-old Erik Birkemo, who describes the king as "Norway's grandfather" to look up to.
"I want to show my respect for the king, but also for the family who is in this situation. The king has been a rallying point for the people in good times and bad," he tells VG.
