General News & Information for King Harald V and Queen Sonja: 2006 -

[Hans-Rickard]

It is well known that he has long refused to slow down despite advice to do so... Even Crown Prince Haakon has said that he often offers to take over engagements from him to make it easier but his father always says no...

Perhaps he should start accept his age and cherry pick engagements only here and there...

[Princess_Eleanor]

I'm sorry to hear that. I noticed he looked unwell at Sverre Magnus' confirmation and had to hold onto Sonja a lot.

I hope he'll feel better soon and perhaps cut back a bit for the sake of his health. It can be difficult for the most dutiful of royals to accept but doing that much in your 80s is unfortunately not always possible...

[Prinsara]

The weight loss must make it generally easier for him to breathe, but there's unfortunately no good explanation for how it happened. His mobility certainly didn't improve.

I hope something does.

[REAL COUNTESS]

Duty before self. The King needs to slow down, he is'nt 30 years old. Hope is will be going well soon.

My prayers are with the family. Hope for a speedy recovery.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Princess_Eleanor

I'm sorry to hear that. I noticed he looked unwell at Sverre Magnus' confirmation and had to hold onto Sonja a lot.

I hope he'll feel better soon and perhaps cut back a bit for the sake of his health. It can be difficult for the most dutiful of royals to accept but doing that much in your 80s is unfortunately not always possible...

I agree, he didn't look well at all at Magnus' confirmation; adding his previous illness in early January, I would highly recommend him taking a huge step back by abdicating in favor of his son. In that way he can still do the odd engagement (like princess Beatrix) without the burden that he is no longer fully able to carry. However, I'm afraid he won't even consider it...

[HereditaryPrincess]

Originally Posted by SLV

He was quite ill last Winter, I believe. He looked very frail and had lost weight when attending the funeral of Ari Behn. His looks haven't improved much during the year. But he is old, so recovery takes longer.

Wasn't Harald hospitalised then too? I hope he recovers from his illness, it must be particularly worrisome for the family as he is at risk of being exposed to Coronavirus being elderly with underlying conditions.

[Prinsara]

If Harald is really incapacitated due to illness, then Haakon will be Regent for however long it takes. That seems to be the way Harald prefers it, right? Olav was Regent for his father when Haakon's health declined and Harald did the same for Olav. I'm sure he thinks it's perfectly normal to expect Haakon will do the same thing for him.

He may seem stubborn and irrational, but remember he's seen a father and a grandfather go till they dropped in harness. I don't think he can rightfully envision withdrawing to sit back. When they say "Alt for Norge", they mean all.

[Hans-Rickard]

Originally Posted by Somebody

I agree, he didn't look well at all at Magnus' confirmation; adding his previous illness in early January, I would highly recommend him taking a huge step back by abdicating in favor of his son. In that way he can still do the odd engagement (like princess Beatrix) without the burden that he is no longer fully able to carry. However, I'm afraid he won't even consider it...

There would certainly be legitimate health-related reasons for it and a big amount of understanding among the norwegian people for an abdication - But i strongly doubt Harald would let himself be remembered as the first King of Norway who abdicated... He views it as a job for life like his father did, who was unwell and on sick leave for a year before he died in 1991. Harald even opened the norwegian parliament as Crown Prince Regent in 1990.

An abdication would also not help Mette-Marit who is also ill, can only take on engagements on a day-to-day basis and will not be able to assume many Queen-duties. If any at all...

The best would be (unless he becomes critically ill) to stay on the throne at least until Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus is above 18 and has started to help out... Otherwise Haakon will be VERY alone for some years...

[cathy50]

Originally Posted by Hans-Rickard

There would certainly be legitimate health-related reasons for it and a big amount of understanding among the norwegian people for an abdication - But i strongly doubt Harald would let himself be remembered as the first King of Norway who abdicated... He views it as a job for life like his father did, who was unwell and on sick leave for a year before he died in 1991. Harald even opened the norwegian parliament as Crown Prince Regent in 1990.

An abdication would also not help Mette-Marit who is also ill, can only take on engagements on a day-to-day basis and will not be able to assume many Queen-duties. If any at all...

The best would be (unless he becomes critically ill) to stay on the throne at least until Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus is above 18 and has started to help out... Otherwise Haakon will be VERY alone for some years...

exactly, anything else written like abdication is pure nonsense.
unfortunately the situation with mette is fact now, I think Ingrid will have to take over a lot of duties sooner than anybody wished. but norway's monarchy has experience enough with getting along without fulltime queens.... it is a very stable one and the workload is ok if one's ok.

[Alisa]

The alternative is for Princess Martha Louise to clean up her life and dump those shady business ventures and dump Derek. Now is the perfect time for her to step up and support her brother.

[iceflower]

King Harald has been released from hospital today, September 28, and was seen being driven home by car:


** dagbladet: Kongen er utskrevet **


** nrk: Slottet bekrefter: Kong Harald forlot sykehuset **


The official announcement made by the Palace, see here:

His Majesty the King has been discharged from Rikshospitalet

The hospital continues the examination, and the King is still on sick leave until 4 October.

[An Ard Ri]

Wishing the king a speedy recovery.

[Blog Real]

I wish the King of Norway a speedy recovery.

[Hans-Rickard]

Originally Posted by Alisa

The alternative is for Princess Martha Louise to clean up her life and dump those shady business ventures and dump Derek. Now is the perfect time for her to step up and support her brother.

She has FULL SUPPORT from her father, mother and brother for what you call an ”unclean life” but wich for her is totally vital and has brought her a lot of happiness.

[Princess_Eleanor]

Originally Posted by Hans-Rickard

She has FULL SUPPORT from her father, mother and brother for what you call an ”unclean life” but wich for her is totally vital and has brought her a lot of happiness.

So you don't think it would be preferable for ML to get to a point where it would be acceptable to the Norwegian public to have her doing royal engagements again and for her to actually want to do engagements? Considering Mette-Marit's and Harald's health and Ingrid's youth, they would be in dire need for someone to step in, Märtha being the obvious person to do it should she wish to (which right now she does not). She certainly has the ability to "princess" when she wishes to, so it's not as though she is incapable.

They support her because they love her and want her to be happy. Yet, I haven't heard of any of them defending the shaman, much as they have and will always defend Märtha - again, because they love her, not necessarily because she has chosen the most advisable path.
But the things the shaman says - people cause their own cancer, there is no such thing as depression or mental illness etc are indefensible, so they can't exactly defend him nor the business ventures he and ML engage in together. ML the person they will always defend, yes, of course.
And it's not as though that is always difficult to do - ultimately, I do think she's a lovely person, very friendly, enthusiastic and empathic but she doesn't wish to "royal" and hasn't for a long time, leaving them with a rather dire situation in which Harald has to do more than his health perhaps sometimes allows, Haakon has and will continue to have a lonely and exhausting job and Ingrid will have to start royal work very young. All doable but not ideal when Märtha is there and could help.

[Lady Daly]

So glad to hear King Harald has now been released from the hospital to recuperate further at home. Best wishes to the King for a full recovery. And, best wishes to Haakon as he steps further into the role that he will one day inherit.

As for Princess Martha Louise to put aside her personal life and return to royal engagements should probably not happen. As long as she is coupled with her sham boyfriend, a controversial person due to his beliefs, behaviors and cult practices, it is much better for everyone that she not return to official engagements at this time. Of course, ML will always be supported by her family because they love her.

[cathy50]

Originally Posted by Alisa

The alternative is for Princess Martha Louise to clean up her life and dump those shady business ventures and dump Derek. Now is the perfect time for her to step up and support her brother.

"Clean up" and "dump"- who are you to criticise her,
she has her family's support and note:
she has a title , but is not a member of the working royal family, she cannot just step back even if she should want to like you suggested.
It would be a pretty silly thing to rely on Märtha, because it'd not be the life she wants to lead and both parliament&church and parts of public would hardly accept, so why make so many people unhappy? Her daughters were not risen to lead a royal life either and do face enough sorrows at very young age.
Märtha seems to be happy now and has struggled a long time with being born royal-never change a winning team.
Ingrid's destiny seems tough but if Charles' is better being 70+ , an age where not few suffer from dementia already, to start a reign?
This is life, if Harald's father had given permission for the wedding a decade earlier, Haakon had been much older and maybe had more siblings, had married earlier and his children now being older but you can easily see there is too many ifs and had....

[eya]

"King Harald will stay at Bygdøy Royal Estate for rest this week.
Built in 1733, restored in 2003 it is one of the royal family's favorite places, right on the outskirts of central Oslo. King Harald will be back at work on Monday next week."


https://twitter.com/OAanmoen/status/...591553/photo/2


By the Palace:


""His Majesty the King has been discharged from Rikshospitalet. The hospital continues the investigation, and the King is still on sick leave until 4 October.""


https://www.kongehuset.no/artikkel.h...267&sek=112472

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by Hans-Rickard

She has FULL SUPPORT from her father, mother and brother for what you call an ”unclean life” but wich for her is totally vital and has brought her a lot of happiness.

I have no doubt about that. However, I think the Norwegian public and press would see otherwise

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by cathy50

"Clean up" and "dump"- who are you to criticise her,
she has her family's support and note:
she has a title , but is not a member of the working royal family, she cannot just step back even if she should want to like you suggested.
It would be a pretty silly thing to rely on Märtha, because it'd not be the life she wants to lead and both parliament&church and parts of public would hardly accept, so why make so many people unhappy? Her daughters were not risen to lead a royal life either and do face enough sorrows at very young age.
Märtha seems to be happy now and has struggled a long time with being born royal-never change a winning team.
Ingrid's destiny seems tough but if Charles' is better being 70+ , an age where not few suffer from dementia already, to start a reign?
This is life, if Harald's father had given permission for the wedding a decade earlier, Haakon had been much older and maybe had more siblings, had married earlier and his children now being older but you can easily see there is too many ifs and had....

Princess Martha Louise is romantically involved with a very highly controversial individual. In addition, her business ventures and using her title to endorse them has in recent years come under fire.
So yes she would have to "dump" Derek and "clean up" her professional life so as not to draw any unnecessary attention or criticism.
It is not unreasonable to ask the Princess to step up assist for say 3-5 years because help is quite needed. However, that would clearly require self-sacrifice on the Princess' part.