Crown Prince Haakon appointed regent as King Harald V treated for bacterial blood infection

Crown Prince Haakon, 52, has been appointed regent after King Harald V, 89 — Europe's oldest serving head of state — developed a bacterial blood infection at Rikshospitalet, Oslo. The Royal House said on 23 August 2026 that the king had responded to antibiotics and his condition was stable. Haakon carries out the monarch's constitutional duties during the king's two-week sick leave.