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 (August 27).

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

Harald, Europe's oldest head of state, was hospitalized on August 17 and the palace has said he was being treated for a bacterial infection in his blood.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

PROFILE: Norway king's health condition 'very serious', royal court says

VIDEO SHOWS: ARCHIVE FOOTAGE OF NORWAY'S KING HARALD

SENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BARKING, ESSEX, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 1, 1969) (REUTERS - Access all)(ORIGINALLY 4:3 MATERIAL) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS OF CROWN PRINCE HARALD AND PRINCESS SONJA AT INAUGURATION OF SPORTS STADIUM, INTERACTING WITH YOUNG GIRL

OSLO, NORWAY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 25, 2001) (REUTERS - Access all) (CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL)

2. VARIOUS OF KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA ARRIVING FOR THE WEDDING OF CROWN PRINCE HAAKON AND CROWN PRINCESS METTE-MARIT

3. CROWD WAVING NORWEGIAN FLAGS

4. FIREWORKS OUTSIDE ROYAL PALACE

5. KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA WATCHING THE FIREWORKS FROM PALACE BALCONY WITH CROWN PRINCE HAAKON AND CROWN PRINCESS METTE-MARIT

Representing the European Union (EU), Herman Van Rompuy, Jose Manuel Barroso and Martin Schulz held an audience with Norwegian King Harald and Queen Sonia at the royal palace in central Oslo on December 10.

The traditional audience took place shortly before the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at which the European Union received the prestigious award for bringing decades of peace and democracy to Europe after the horrors and division of two world wars.

OSLO, NORWAY (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 10, 2012) (POOL - Access all)

6. KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA GREETING 2012 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNERS EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT JOSE MANUEL BARROSO, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT MARTIN SCHULZ AND PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL HERMAN VAN ROMPUY / BARROSO, SCHULZ, VAN ROMPUY AND ROYAL COUPLE POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway began a six-day state visit to Canberra, Australia, meeting the country's Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Abbott welcomed the royal couple to Parliament House on February 23 after they toured the Australian War Memorial and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 23, 2015) (Australian Broadcasting Corporation - No use Australia / .COM.AU internet sites / any internet site of any Australian-based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients/ SMH.COM.AU / NEWS.COM.AU)

7. ROYAL CAR PULLING UP / AUSTRALIA'S THEN PRIME MINISTER TONY ABBOTT GREETING KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA

8. VARIOUS OF KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA OF NORWAY AND ABBOTT SEATED

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KING HARALD OF NORWAY SAYING:

"I've been looking forward to this visit for a long time. Forty years, about forty years." / HARALD LAUGHING

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway continued their six-day state visit to Australia in Sydney on February 25, with a visit to the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) to see a cultural performance.

The NCIE aims to create opportunities and build on capabilities by delivering programs and promoting progressive leadership, according to its website.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 25, 2015) (Australian Pool - No use Australia / .COM.AU internet sites / any internet site of any Australian based media organisations or mobile platforms / Australian NVO clients/ SMH.COM.AU / NEWS.COM.AU)

10. VARIOUS OF KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA WATCHING PERFORMANCE BY DANCERS AT THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR INDIGENOUS EXCELLENCE

11. DANCERS GIVING GIFT TO KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA

12. KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA OF NORWAY POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THE NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERNOR, GENERAL DAVID HURLEY AND HIS WIFE LINDA HURLEY

13. KING HARALD SIGNING VISITORS BOOK

The Norwegian royal family on January 17 marked King Harold's 25 years on the throne by throwing a ski party outside the royal palace in central Oslo.

Scores of people turned out to greet the royal family and to try out ski-related events including snowboarding, cross-country skiing and the biathlon rifle. There was also an ice slide.

OSLO, NORWAY (ARCHIVE - JANUARY 17, 2016) (TV2 - No use Norway/ No Use Russia)

14. MINISTER GREETING NORWAY'S KING HARALD AT CEREMONY IN ROYAL CHAPEL

15. VARIOUS OF MINISTER GREETING QUEEN SONJA AND CROWN PRINCE HAAKON AND CROWN PRINCESS METTE-MARIT AND THEIR CHILDREN

16. SKI SLOPE OUTSIDE THE ROYAL PALACE MARKING KING HARALD'S 25 YEARS ON THE THRONE WITH WINTER GAMES OUTSIDE THE PALACE

17. ROYAL FAMILY COMING OUT OF THE PALACE AND GREETING THE PEOPLE

18. KING AND QUEEN WALKING OUT OF THE PALACE

19. VARIOUS MEMBERS OF ROYAL FAMILY ON SKIS

Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja were joined by royals from across Europe for their joint 80th birthday dinner at the royal palace in Oslo on May 9.

The official celebration kicked off in the afternoon with a drill show by the King's guards and the public was also invited to the Palace Square to sing for the royal couple.

OSLO, NORWAY (ARCHIVE - MAY 9, 2017) (NRK POOL - No access Norway)

20. KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA GREET GUESTS ARRIVING TO THEIR JOINT 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

21. KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA WALKING

22. GUESTS SEATED FOR DINNER

23. KING HARALD, QUEEN SONJA TALKING TO SWEDISH KING CARL GUSTAF

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 18, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

24. VARIOUS STILL PICTURES OF KING HARALD PAYING HIS RESPECTS TO QUEEN ELIZABETH DURING HER LYING IN STATE AT WESTMINSTER HALL

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 19, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

25. VARIOUS STILL PICTURES OF KING HARALD ATTENDING THE STATE FUNERAL OF QUEEN ELIZABETH AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado met members of Norway’s royal family at the palace in Oslo on Friday December 12.

OSLO, NORWAY (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 12, 2025) (POOL NRK – No use Norway)

26. NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, ENTERING ROOM, GREETED BY KING HARALD, QUEEN SONJA AND CROWN PRINCE HAAKON

MACHADO

27. MACHADO, KING HARALD, QUEEN SONJA AND CROWN PRINCE HAAKON POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHER / MACHADO, KING HARALD AND QUEEN SONJA POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Norway's King Harald was taken to hospital on the Spanish island of Tenerife, suffering from an infection and dehydration, the royal palace said in a statement. The king was on a private holiday with his wife Queen Sonja.

TENERIFE, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 25, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

28. HOSPITAL EXTERIORS WHERE KING HARALD IS BEING TREATED

29. (MUTE) VARIOUS STILL PICTURES OF QUEEN SONJA WALKING INTO HOSPITAL