King Harald V visited Rikshospitalet on Friday for a scheduled medical checkup. A tabloid report that he arrived by ambulance caused public alarm, but the Norwegian Royal Court quickly denied that claim, confirming the King travelled in his own car. The episode comes amid recent health scares for the monarch and other royal family members, including hospital stays in Tenerife and a pacemaker procedure after an incident in Malaysia. Despite concern, the Palace says Friday’s visit was routine and the King continued with his official engagements.
King Harald's Hospital Visit Sparks Alarm in Norway — Palace Quickly Denies Ambulance Claim
King Harald prompts alarm in Norway: Royal palace rushes out an urgent statement after hospital visit (Getty Images)
King Harald V spent part of Friday at Oslo's Rikshospitalet for a planned medical checkup, but a tabloid report that he had been driven to the hospital by ambulance briefly alarmed the nation.
Norway entered a brief panic after an outlet published a news clipping on the state of the King's health (Getty Images)
The tabloid Se og Hør published a story saying the 89-year-old monarch had been taken to the hospital by ambulance. The Norwegian Royal Court issued an immediate clarification, calling that account incorrect and saying the King arrived in his own car for a scheduled follow-up appointment.
Harald ultimately drove himself to the doctor's appointment (Getty Images)
“It is not correct, as published by Se og Hør, that the King was driven to Rikshospitalet by ambulance today,” a palace spokesperson said. “The King was there today for a planned checkup and follow-up with a doctor, and he was driven in his own car.”
Se og Hør's editor-in-chief told VG that reporters had raised the ambulance claim with the royal household before publishing and said it had not been denied at the time; the outlet later corrected its story to say the King arrived by personal vehicle. According to the Palace schedule, King Harald met Norway’s defence minister and participated in a Council of State session that same day, and officials confirmed he ultimately drove himself to the appointment.
Crown Prince Haakon has stepped up to support his father when necessary (AFP via Getty Images)
Why the Rumor Stoked Concern
The speed and intensity of the reaction reflect heightened public sensitivity about the monarch’s health. King Harald turned 89 in February and was hospitalised days later while on holiday in Tenerife, Spain, where doctors treated him for an infection and dehydration. He spent two days at the private Hospiten Sur hospital before returning home.
Norway's royal family has been affected by health and legal woes (LISE ASERUD)
In 2024 a vacation in Malaysia became a medical emergency when the King's heart rate fell to a dangerously low level; he received a temporary pacemaker on site and was later flown to Norway for surgeons at Rikshospitalet to implant a permanent device. During that recovery period, Crown Prince Haakon carried out some official duties on his father’s behalf.
Broader Strains on the Royal Household
Friday’s false alarm arrived amid a difficult period for the royal family. In late May, Queen Sonja, 88, was admitted to the National Hospital. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been battling pulmonary fibrosis, first diagnosed in 2018; in June she underwent a double lung transplant and was discharged from Rikshospitalet on July 14 and is reportedly recuperating at home.
The family has also faced legal turmoil. Marius Borg Høiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son, was convicted in June on several charges, including two counts of rape, and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Combined, recent medical episodes and legal troubles help explain why a single word like “ambulance” could unsettle many Norwegians. The Palace, however, says this latest visit was routine: a scheduled medical check for an elderly head of state who continued with his planned duties after the appointment.
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