Norwegians are keeping their monarch in their thoughts.
King Harald is in “very serious condition,” the AP reported citing palace officials, after his health worsened in the hospital on Aug. 27.
The 89-year-old’s wife Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon—who has been acting as regent amid his father’s ill health—cancelled all planned events and engagements in order to be with Harald.
The monarch was admitted to the National Hospital in Oslo earlier in August, per the AP, to undergo treatment for a bacterial blood infection.
Though his condition had improved, Harald—who has hemolytic anemia in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be improved—has reportedly taken a turn for the worse.
In addition to 53-year-old Haakon—who shares two children with his wife of 25 years Mette-Marit—Harald and Sonja are also mom and dad to Princess Märtha Louise, though the 54-year-old stepped away from royal duties in 2022 amid her engagement to Shaman Durek Verrett.
"After a period of many questions related to me and my fiancé's role, I have decided that at the present time I will no longer perform official duties for the Royal Household," she announced in November. "I am making this decision in consultation with my parents, the King and Queen, in order to create peace around the Royal House."
Märtha and Durek had gotten engaged in just five months earlier, with both individuals rejoicing in having found the one, and wed in 2024.
In the years since, despite having stepped back from official royal duties, the couple’s marriage has sparked continuous scrutiny, and in 2025 users questioned whether their union was a lavender marriage (a.k.a. a marriage to disguise either one or both partners being queer).
But Märtha and Durek—who is publicly bisexual—proved they weren’t bothered by the discourse in a sweet video.
Alongside screenshots of online comments about their marriage, Märtha and Durek wrote in an Oct. 2025 video, “Hmm we do like lavender but doesn’t seem right,” they wrote. “Ordinary isn’t our thing. We just love.”
The accompanying caption of the video—which also showed Durek taking Märtha lovingly into his arms—read, “Thought it was lavender? Plot twist. It’s just love and legacy.”
For more on happenings of the royal families around the world this year, read on.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Plan Extended Stay in the U.K.
Six years after they stepped away from royal duties and moved to California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are packing up for what E! News has learned will be an extended stay in the U.K.
While it's not a permanent move, the couple will be enrolling their children Archie and Lilibet in school in Britain this fall, according to People, which also reported that the Sussexes are hanging onto their Montecito, Calif., estate and vacation retreat in Portugal.
Meghan Markle's Show With Love, Meghan Scores Daytime Emmy Nomination
Meghan earned her first-ever Daytime Emmy nod on July 14 for the 2026 award show after her series With Love, Meghan was nominated for Outstanding Lifestyle Program.
Prince Harry & More Lose $50 Million In Legal Fees After Privacy Lawsuit Loss
On July 7, British Justice Matthew Nicklin ruled against a group of high profile figures—including the Duke of Sussex, Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley—in a lawsuit accusing the Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, of unlawful information gathering.
In the lawsuit, filed in 2022, the plaintiffs accused the newspaper organization of mobile phone hacking, landline bugging and even home bugging in 97 separate allegations.
In May, Princess Eugenie shared she and her husband Jack Brooksbank—who share sons August, 5, and Ernest, 2—are expecting their third baby together.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested on Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest came amid renewed controversy over Andrew's alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.)
Prince William and Kate Middleton Break Silence on the Epstein Files
The Duke and Duchess of Wales spoke out amid the release of millions of documents in connection with Jeffrey Epstein, sharing their support for the victims of the late convicted sex offender.
"I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations," a Kensington Palace spokesperson shared in a statement obtained by MS NOW Feb. 9. "Their thoughts remain focused on the victims."
Marius Borg Høiby, Son of Norway's Crown Princess, Arrested Ahead of Rape Trial
Marius Borg Høiby—the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and step-son of Crown Prince Haakon—was arrested Feb. 1 for assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order, Oslo police confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press.
The 29-year-old—who does not carry a royal title or official duties—is being kept in detention for up to four weeks over risks of reoffending after the Oslo district court granted the request. His attorney Petar Sekulic told the outlet that they are considering appealing the decision.
Høiby is expected in court Feb. 3 as part of a separate indictment regarding four alleged rapes between 2018 and 2024, as well as two alleged acts of violence against a partner and violating a restraining order.
His defense team addressed the allegations in a statement to the AP, saying that Høiby "denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence."
Flora Vesterberg, Queen Elizabeth's Cousin, Announces Pregnancy
Flora Vesterberg, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin Princess Alexandra, announced that she is pregnant with her and husband Timothy Vesterberg's first baby.
"Delighted to share that Timothy and I are expecting our first child," she wrote on Instagram Jan. 19. "We're truly over the moon."
Prince Harry Appears in Court for Lawsuit Against U.K. Tabloids
Harry appeared at London’s High Court Jan. 19 for the start of what is expected to be a weeks-long trial against Associated Newspapers—the media group that publishes the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, and Mail Online—over allegations of unethical newsgathering tactics
Other stars including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sadie Frost are also taking aim against the publishing company in the lawsuit.
Associated Newspapers has “vigorously denied” the claims, according to the BBC.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Celebrate 10 Years Together
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated ten years together by sharing a romantic black and white video of themselves dancing in their backyard.
Set to Olivia Dean’s “So Easy (To Fall In Love),” the couple revealed that the clip was recorded by none other than their 4-year-old daughter Lilibet. Alongside a camera emoji, Meghan—who also shares 6-year-old son Archie with Harry— added in the caption of the Jan. 16 Instagram post, “cred: our daughter.”
The couple also shared a throwback photo from their first year of dating. In the adorable snap, the pair embraced each other during a nature-filled getaway.
“When 2026 feels just like 2016….,” Meghan wrote in the caption. “You had to be there.”
The Greek royal family’s private office announced Jan. 15 that Queen Sofia of Spain’s sister died at the age of 83.
As the statement read, "It is with deep sadness that the Greek Royal Family announces that HRH Princess Irene, beloved sister and aunt, passed away on Thursday, January 15th 2026, at 11:40 local time, in Zarzuela Palace in Madrid surrounded by loved ones."
Her funeral was held Jan. 19 at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens following her death, with the burial at the Royal Cemetery of Tatoi.
Kate Middleton Celebrates Her Birthday With Moving Message
On her 44th birthday, the Princess of Wales shared a message on the power of nature to heal.
“Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration,” Kate said in a voiceover alongside footage of snowy landscapes in her Jan. 9 video. “Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection, to discover the deepest parts of ourselves, alongside the whispers and the pulse of every living thing.”
She added, “I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am. For the rivers within us flow with ease, fears washed away, cleanse and purify, come to peace with our tears and discover what it means to be alive, to be at one with nature—a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides in memory helping us to heal in.”
Kate Middleton Makes Surprise Appearance With Prince William
The Princess of Wales marked her first public appearance of 2026 as she joined her husband during an engagement at the Charing Cross Hospital in London. The outing in support of healthcare workers came almost a year after she announced she was in remission following her cancer diagnosis.