King and Queen of Norway return from Covid-19 quarantine

The Norwegian Royal Court informed on Thursday 26 November 2020 that the king and queen had been tested for Covid-19 and the results were negative. This meant that they could return to work on Friday. King Harald presided over the Council of State which was held at the Royal Palace at 11 a.m.

The king and queen and 14 employees at the Royal Palace were quarantined on 19 November after an employee has been diagnosed with Covid-19. Queen Sonja was in quarantine because she has been in close contact with the employee, while King Harald's home quarantine was self-imposed. Neither the king nor the queen had at the time shown any symptoms. 

The 14 employees also tested negative and have returned to work.

King and Queen of Norway quarantined

The Norwegian Royal Court informed today that the king and queen and 14 employees at the Royal Palace are in quarantine after an employee has been diagnosed with Covid-19. Queen Sonja is in quarantine because she has been in close contact with the employee, while King Harald's home quarantine is self-imposed. Neither the king nor the queen has shown any symptoms so far.

The quarantine means that the king will preside over the Council of State by phone from his home at Bygdø Royal Farm on Friday 20 November at 11 a.m.. The telephone solution was also used in the spring of 2000 during the first wave of the pandemic.

Crown Prince Haakon will step in to grant the President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, an audience at 10 a.m. on Friday. The quarantine also mean several changes to the king and queen's program in the next few days.

3 November 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of King Peter II of Yugoslavia

The Office of Crown Prince Alexander, head of the Royal House of Serbia, has issued the following statement concerning the 50th anniversary of the death of King Peter II of Yugoslavia tomorrow, 3 November 2020:

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF KING PETER II’S DEATH TO BE MARKED IN OPLENAC AND NEW YORK

A memorial service for His Majesty King Peter II (son of the great unifier His Majesty King Alexander I) is going to be officiated tomorrow Tuesday, 3 November 2020 by His Grace Bishop Jovan of Sumadija at the Church of Saint George in Oplenac.

According to protocol the first wreath will be laid by Mr. Dragomir Acovic, chairman of the Advisory bodies of the Crown on the behalf His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander head of the Serbian Royal Family (son of Hs Majesty King Peter II) on the tomb of the late King.

In New York His Grace Bishop Irinej of Eastern America will officiate a memorial service for His Majesty King Peter II in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine who will light candles in memory of the Crown Prince’s father, HM King Peter II, at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava. His Majesty King Peter II was very close to the cathedral during his time in the United States.

King Peter II, b. 1923, died in exile in Denver, Colorado on 3 November 1970 and was succeeded as head of the royal family by his only son, Crown Prince Alexander, b. 1945.

King Harald off the sick list from 1 November

The Norwegian Royal Court confirmed in a press statement yesterday that King Harald's sick leave will end on Sunday 1 November. The king had an operation to replace a heart valvet on 9 October 2020 and has been on sick leave since 25 September.

The «Official engagements» section at Kongehuset.no shows that King Harald will have his first public engagements on Thursday 5 November 2020 when he will grant the new ambassadors from Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Greece a formal audience. He will also preside over the Council of State on Friday 6 November.

Royal birth in Albania

The Office of Crown Prince Leka, Head of the Royal House of Albania, announced today the birth of Princess Geraldine, firstborn child of the Crown Prince and his wife Crown Princess Elia, née Zaharia:

The Albanian Royal Family is delighted to announce the birth of Her Royal Highness Princess Geraldine, who was born to Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Leka of the Albanians and Crown Princess Elia, Thursday the 22nd of October. 

Crown Princess Elia was safely delivered at 09:30, the "Queen Geraldine Maternity Hospital" in Tirana. 

Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.

The newborn princess is named after her great-grandmother Queen Geraldine, née Countess Apponyi de Nagy-Appony (1915–2002), wife of King Zog of the Albanians (1895–1961). Crown Prince Leka (often referred to as Prince Leka or Leka Zogu), who became head of the Royal House of Albania in 2011 when his father Leka, nominal King of the Albanians, died. Crown Prince Leka married Elia Zaharia in 2016.

Because of Queen Geraldine's descendance from Johann Georg II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, her great-granddaughter with the same name is related to most royal and former royal families of Europe, including the Norwegian Royal Family. Princess Geraldine is a 10th cousin to King Harald V of Norway.

The little genealogical table is among others based on a genealogical table published in Europe's Royal Families by Maria Kroll and Jason Lindsey, published by Country Life Books in 1979.

King Harald discharged from hospital

The Norwegian Royal Palace announced today that King Harald's condition is good and that he has been discharged from Rikshospitalet (The National Hospital, Oslo University Hospitgal), where he has stayed since last Thursday. He underwent an operation  on Friday 9 October 2020 in order to replace a heart valve. A photo of the king being driven home from the hospital can be found in several online newspapers today, including Aftenposten.no (NTB). The king is expected to resume his duties in November.

King Harald is doing well after operation

Last Thursday the Royal Palace explained the reason for King Harald of Norway's problems with heavy breathing, which lead to a stay at Rikshospitalet (The National Hospital, which is a division of Oslo University Hospital) from Friday 25 September to Monday 28 September. The press statement said:

His Majesty The King to undergo surgery to replace a heart valve

His Majesty The King is being admitted to Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, to undergo surgery to replace a heart valve. The surgery is scheduled to take place on Friday, 9 October. 

In 2005, the King underwent open heart valve surgery. At that time, the aortic valve was replaced with an artificial biological heart valve. Artificial biological heart valves have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, and therefore it is not uncommon that the intervention must be repeated after some time.

The intervention this time will not be open heart surgery. The King will be awake and the procedure will be carried out under local anaesthesia via the groin.

The procedure will be carried out by the medical team led by the King’s physician, Bjørn Bendz, Head of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet. 

“His Majesty The King has had regular check-ups, and the tests we have been carrying out indicate that this procedure is necessary to improve the King’s breathing. This type of procedure is performed hundreds of times each year at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, and the Norwegian surgeons are extremely experienced,” says the King’s physician, Bjørn Bendz.

Crown Prince Haakon will continue to serve as Regent during the king's extgended sick leave.

After the operation on Friday 9 October, the Royal Palace issued the following statement:

His Majesty The King’s surgery was successful 

His Majesty The King underwent a heart valve replacement at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, today. The operation was a success and the King is in good condition.

The King was awake during the procedure, which was carried out under local anaesthesia via the groin.

The medical team involved was led by the King’s physician, Bjørn Bendz, and included section heads Lars Aaberge and Christian Eek of the Department of Cardiology at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet.

Background

In 2005, His Majesty The King underwent heart valve surgery. At that time, the aortic valve was replaced with an artificial biological heart valve. Artificial biological heart valves have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, and therefore it is not uncommon that the intervention must be repeated after some time.

Recent tests carried out on the King indicated that it was necessary to replace the artificial biological heart valve from 2005 with a new one to improve the King’s breathing.

The Royal Palace promised that updates on the King’s condition would be provided regularly. The king is expected to resume his duties in November.

On Saturday 10 October the Royal Palace reported that the king's condition was good and that he already had made a short walk.