Queen Sonja of Norway: Royal, 87, rushed to hospital after skiing incident with country's Prime Minister wishing her 'speedy recovery'

The royal monarch, 87, was hospitalised on Saturday (11 January) with a skiing-related injury, the royal household revealed. In relation to her ski trip, the 87-year-old monarch, who is married to King Harald V of Norway, also 87, suffers from atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate, according to the NHS.

Despite the hospital admittance, Sonja's condition is not thought to be serious, and she is in good shape, the family told Sweden Herald. She was discharged from Lillehammer hospital the following day with a normal heart rhythm, the palace said.

Her calendar is clear of appointments in the upcoming weeks. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre released a statement to NTB, a Norwegian news agency, wishing the queen a speedy recovery “and hopes that she will soon be ready for new skiing trips”.

The Queen is not known to have suffered from any health issues in recent times, unlike Harald, who received a permanent pacemaker last March. A month prior, Harald fell ill during a private holiday with his wife on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi. He underwent surgery there and received a temporary pacemaker due to a low heart rate.

Harald returned to Norway aboard a medical airplane and was immediately transferred to an Oslo hospital. The king's doctor, Bjørn Bendz, said that he had contracted an undetermined infection in Malaysia.

The implant will help ensure that Harald's heart beats regularly, and replaced the temporary pacemaker that he received before. The monarch has been in frail health in recent years with numerous hospital stays.

He had an operation to replace a heart valve in October 2020 after being hospitalised with breathing difficulties. Despite suffering from various health concerns, Harald has repeatedly said that he has no plans to abdicate, unlike his second cousin Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who stepped down last year.