Infection in the Foot Causes the King of Norway at the Age of 89 to Be Hospitalized during a Holiday in Spain

Illustration of an ambulance heading to the incident location. (camilo jimenez-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The King of Norway Harald V is hospitalized in Spain during his vacation. The 86-year-old king is suffering from dehydration and a foot infection.

His personal doctor, Bjorn Bendz, said the condition of the King of Norway was generally good.

"The king's overall health is good and he has responded well to treatment. The infection originated from a skin infection on one of his legs," Bendz said in a royal statement on Wednesday, quoted by AFP.

"The king will remain in hospital for a few more days for observation and further treatment," he added.

The oldest king in Europe has been hospitalized at the Hospiten Sur University Hospital in Tenerife since Tuesday evening. He was on a private holiday visit with his wife, Queen Sonja, 88, and celebrated his birthday on Saturday.

"When someone who is almost 90 years old is hospitalized for an infection, it is a serious situation," Bendz said.

"It is important for us to have a good picture and full control over his health condition before the king can leave the hospital - even if his condition is stable at the moment," he added.

Harald, who has been King of Norway since 1991, has had health problems in recent years that have reduced his official schedule. Despite his illness, he has always refused to abdicate.

During a private trip to Malaysia two years ago, Harald was also recorded as contracting the infection and was taken to hospital before being flown home after being fitted with a pacemaker.

Concerns about Harald's health come as the Norwegian royal family faces a sex predator scandal, Jeffrey Epstein.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who married Harald's son, Crown Prince Haakon, in 2001, appears several times in Jeffrey Epstein's documents. Mette-Marit in the document revealed an unexpected closeness to the late Epstein, who was a US sex offender.