Norway’s King Harald, Europe’s oldest monarch, to scale back work after pacemaker implants
- He returned to work on Monday after a long sick leave following two surgeries to implant pacemakers
- The king has repeatedly said he has no plans to abdicate, unlike his second cousin Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who stepped down earlier this year
Europe’s oldest monarch, King Harald V of Norway, returned to work on Monday after a long sick leave following two surgeries to implant pacemakers, as the royal household said he would scale back his official activities from now on.
The first scheduled tasks for Harald, 87, is to receive Norwegian military officers at the royal palace in Oslo, according to the Norwegian royal calendar.
“The king will make adjustments to his programme in the future, due to his age. This will entail a permanent reduction in the number and scope of activities in which the king participates,” the royal household said in a statement.
“Practical arrangements will also be made in the implementation of his official activity.”
Harald repeatedly has said he has no plans to abdicate, unlike his second cousin Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who stepped down earlier this year.
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Harald fell ill in late February during a private holiday with his wife, Queen Sonja, on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi. He received a temporary pacemaker there due to a low heart rate on March 2.