Europe’s oldest monarch, the ailing King Harald V of Norway, gets a permanent pacemaker

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Europe’s oldest monarch, Norwegian King Harald V, has received a permanent pacemaker. The palace said Tuesday the monarch successfully underwent surgery at an Oslo university hospital and will remain there for a few days. Harald, 87, fell ill during a private holiday in Malaysia and received a temporary pacemaker due to a low heart rate. 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 hospitalized with breathing difficulties. Harald whose duties are ceremonial, repeatedly has said he has no plans to abdicate.