Today, President Sauli Niinistö met King Harald V of Norway in the royal palace.
King Harald V used a crutch. Matti Porre
The President of the Republic, Sauli Niinistö, visited Norway today to discuss cooperation between Finland and Norway in foreign, security and defense policy. During his visit, Niinistö also met King Harald V of Norway, 84.
In the joint photo taken at the Royal Palace, President Niinistö, King Harald V, Queen Sonja and Prince Haakon are standing next to each other. President Niinistö’s wife, the poet Jenni Haukio, was not included in the visit.
In the group photos, attention is especially drawn to 84-year-old Harald’s crutch. President Niinistö also published a tweet on Monday in which he thanks the trio for the visit.
– Thank you to your majesties King Harald V of Norway, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakko for the warm welcome and the thought-provoking conversation, Niinistö writes on his Twitter account with a joint photo.
Crowned in 1991, Harald is known to have suffered from various health problems during his reign. In 2003, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which was operated on. In addition, he has undergone heart surgery.
In September, King Harald V attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth of England. There he was seen walking with two crutches.
Harald’s painful knee was operated on in 2021. At that time, it was reported that the king needs support when walking, and climbing stairs in particular causes difficulties.
King Harald V represented Queen Elizabeth at her funeral with two crutches. PDO