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The Norwegian Royal Court has confirmed that King Harald, 89, has been rushed to hospital with dehydration and an infection. A spokesperson for the royals said the monarch was in a "good" condition in Tenerife.

A statement issued by The Royal House of Norway said: "His Majesty the King (Harald V) was admitted this evening to Hospital Universitario Hospiten Sur in Tenerife. The King is being treated for an infection and dehydration, and his condition is, under the circumstances, good." The royals confirmed that his personal physician will travel to Tenerife to assist the local health service, and said that an update would be provided once the physician has "assessed the situation".

King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway had been enjoying a private stay on the Spanish island for a winter holiday.

He has reigned since 1991, succeeding his equally popular father, King Olav V, who was voted the Norwegian of the century in 1999.

Despite King Harald's popularity, the Norwegian royal family has been under intense scrutiny of late, following bombshell revelations in the latest release of the Epstein files.

The wife of the heir to the throne, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, featured hundreds of times in the files between 2011-2014, after Epstein had been convicted of soliciting prostitution with a minor. Involvement in the files does not indicate any wrongdoing.

Emails suggested she had had a long friendship with the convicted paedophile and even stayed at his house in Palm Beach for four days in January 2013, when he was not present.

The princess released a statement saying: "I showed poor judgement and regret having any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing."

She expressed her "deep sympathy and solidarity with the victims of the abuses committed by Jeffrey Epstein".

Mette-Marit's scrutiny came as her son, who is from a previous relationship before she married Crown Prince Haakon, was due to stand trial for allegations of 38 crimes, including four rapes and assaults.

Marius Borg Høiby has pleaded not guilty to the most serious offences, including the alleged rapes. He faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted. His trial is ongoing.