King Harald rushed to hospital after falling ill while on holiday

King Harald of Norway has been admitted to hospital with an infection whilst on holiday, the Norwegian royal court has announced.

The royal, 87, was admitted into hospital after falling ill whilst on holiday in Malaysia.

Following news of his admission, he is said to be receiving “good follow-up” care from both Malaysian and Norwegian medical personnel and is reported to be in a stable condition.

Prior to falling ill, the Norwegian monarch has been on a private trip to the South-East Asia country.

The royal also recently celebrated his 87th birthday on February 21 and currently stands as the oldest ruling monarch in Europe.

It is understood that the monarch has had a number of respiratory issues over the past few years.

He also now requires crutches to get around and has suffered from a series of ailments and illness in recent years, including heart surgery.

He had last been previously hospitalised with “an infection” in May 2023. Hospitalisations also occurred in December 2022, August 2022 and November 2017.

In late January, the monarch also went on sick leave due to a respiratory infection.

Due to the time King Harald was to be out of the country, 50-year-old Crown Prince Hakkon had been scheduled to act as regent.

The monarch was last pictured walking with crutches on his way to lunch with members of the Norwegian government on February 24.

Just last month, speculation grew that King Harald could have been set to abdicate, following the lead of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.