Operation successful

Norwegian king now has pacemaker

The Norwegian King Harald (87) has received a temporary pacemaker in Malaysia. "The decision was made this morning and the operation was successful," the palace announced on Saturday.

The reason was the monarch's low heart rate. The king is doing well, but still needs to rest. As reported , the king fell ill with an infection during a private vacation trip to Malaysia and was taken to hospital there (see video above).

A plane had already landed on Friday to take him home. The journey home is now planned for the next few days. The operation will make the journey safer, said King Harald's anesthetist Bjørn Bendz.

Europe's oldest monarch
King Harald is the oldest monarch in Europe. He has been struggling with his health for some time. In winter, for example, he suffered from a respiratory infection.

The Norwegian has been on the throne, which he took over from his father King Olav V, since 1991.