Norway's Queen Sonja has been admitted to hospital with heart issues, the Norwegian Royal House has confirmed.
The 88-year-old had stepped back from official duties owing to heart fibrillation, a condition causing irregular heartbeat.
The Norwegian Palace confirmed the Queen had been admitted to hospital on Wednesday.
"Her Majesty the Queen was admitted to the National Hospital today due to heart problems," an official statement, translated into English, read.
"The Queen has heart fibrillation and heart failure, and has been hospitalised for a few days for examinations and observation."
The admission follows an announcement on Sunday that the Queen required rest and medication adjustments after undergoing examinations at the same facility.
She had been placed on sick leave for a week prior to this latest hospitalisation.
The Queen was forced to cancel multiple engagements, including a scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Norway's Queen Sonja has been admitted to hospital with heart issues, the Norwegian Royal House has confirmed
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Queen Sonja had been hospitalised due to her existing heart condition, atrial fibrillation, during a skiing trip back in January 2025, and was subsequently fitted with a pacemaker.
Just three months later, as the royal family were enjoying their Easter break at a private mountain retreat in Jotunheimen, the Queen was transported by air ambulance after experiencing breathing difficulties.
She was later discharged after investigations showed her condition had normalised.
But the Queen is not the only member of Norway's royal family currently contending with serious health concerns.
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Crown Prince Haakon recently revealed the Crown Princess is 'seriously ill' and has 'gotten a bit worse lately'
| GETTYHer son, 52-year-old heir apparent Crown Prince Haakon, spoke candidly to reporters on Tuesday about his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's, deteriorating condition.
"The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately," he said. "So I am worried about her health."
The 52-year-old Crown Princess now relies on supplemental oxygen as part of her daily routine, which Haakon noted provides some relief.
"She uses oxygen in her everyday life, and that helps a bit," he explained, adding that the past six months had progressed reasonably well despite varying phases of the illness.
She has since been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant, though the precise timing remains uncertain.
"It's up to the doctors, it's a medical question," Crown Prince Haakon said. "So they're the ones who decide when it should happen, when it's right. But I think she's gotten a lot worse lately, unfortunately."
Crown Princess Mette-Marit, also 52, was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, and the Palace confirmed last autumn that her condition had worsened.
The Crown Princess made her most recent public appearance on May 17 for Norwegian Constitution Day at the royal residence Skaugum, situated near Oslo.
Queen Sonja's husband, King Harald, 89, has similarly faced a series of health setbacks in recent years.
Queen Sonja's husband, King Harald, has similarly faced a series of health setbacks in recent years, though intends to maintain his scheduled engagements
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In February 2026, the monarch was admitted to Hospital Universitario Hospiten Sur in Tenerife while on a family holiday, receiving treatment for an infection and dehydration.
The Palace reported at the time that he responded well to treatment and recovered swiftly, with his personal physician remaining on the island to monitor his progress.
The King has also undergone pacemaker surgery in 2024, a leg operation in 2022, and contracted Covid-19 twice in 2022 and 2023.
Despite his wife's current hospitalisation, King Harald intends to maintain his scheduled engagements, including a visit to Vestland county in western Norway.
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