COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — 85-year-old King Harald V of Norway tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday with mild symptoms, royal authorities reported.
Harald will take a break from his duties for a few days and his son, Crown Prince Haakon, will take care of them for now, the royal household said in a brief statement.
Harald has three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, although he has fallen ill on several occasions in recent years, including 2020 when he underwent surgery for a new heart valve.
Harald's duties as head of state of Norway are ceremonial, and he has no political authority. He ascended the throne after the death of his father, King Olav, on January 17, 1991.
Harald, the first king born in the country since the 14th century, married a commoner as a prince and won the affection of his country in 2011 by leading the funeral acts of the victims of mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.