The health of Norway’s King Harald, 89, has deteriorated while in hospital and his condition is now “very serious,” the royal court said on Thursday.

Europe’s oldest living monarch and Norway’s ceremonial head of state since 1991, Harald was taken to hospital on August 17.

The palace said he was being treated for a bacterial infection in his blood.

King Harald V of Norway poses for a photo at the Bird Room of the Royal Palace during the Danish royal couple’s official state visit to Norway, in Oslo on May 14, 2024. NTB/AFP via Getty Images

Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit leave the hospital where King Harald is on August 25, 2026. via REUTERS

Crown Prince Haakon and Harald’s wife, Queen Sonja, have both canceled all planned events, the palace said in a statement.

Members of Harald’s family, including the crown prince and the queen, were seen arriving at the Oslo University Hospital where the king is being treated, Norwegian media reported.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement to the media, “The whole nation is with us as we send warm thoughts to the king and the rest of the royal family.”

The king announced in 2024 that he would reduce the number of official activities in which he takes part out of consideration for his age, but ruled out abdication, saying his oath as king was for life.