Royals King Harald V of Norway Steps Out for Church on Christmas Following Hospitalization for Infection The Norwegian Royal House said that King Harald would "take it easy for a few days" after the hospital stay By Janine Henni Janine Henni Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 27, 2022 03:35PM EST Photo: Norwegian Royal Family/Instagram King Harald V of Norway got to church on Christmas after spending three days in the hospital for an infection. The King, 85, joined several other members of the royal family for the Sunday service, four days after the Norwegian Royal House announced that he was released from the hospital. Harald was admitted the week before Christmas. "The King and Queen, the Crown Prince and Princess Ingrid Alexandra were today present at the traditional Christmas Day service in the Holmenkollen chapel in Oslo," the palace captioned a carousel on Instagram Sunday. In the first shot, King Harald walked into church using canes, the priest by his side. The second image showed Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 18, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit making their way into church, followed by a picture of the choir performing and Harald shaking hands with the priest. The Norwegian royals celebrated Christmas at Kongsseteren, their private lodge in Oslo where they traditionally spend the holiday. On Dec. 19, the palace announced that King Harald was on sick leave and had checked in to the National Hospital. Norwegian Royal Family/Instagram King Harald V of Norway Hospitalized with Infection Ahead of Christmas "The king has been diagnosed with an infection which must be treated with intravenous antibiotics and will therefore remain at Rikshospitalet for a few days. The condition is stable," the statement said. On Dec. 21, the palace confirmed that Harald had left the hospital, which is a 15-minute drive from Kongsseteren. "His Majesty the King has now been discharged from the National Hospital. The king is on the road to recovery, but will take it easy for a few days," the second statement said. It remains to be seen whether or not King Harald will give his traditional New Year's Eve speech in the coming days. Prior to his hospitalization, December had been a busy month for the monarch. Rune Hellestad/Getty Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! On Dec. 10, he attended the Nobel Peace Prize Banquet at Oslo's Grand Hotel with his wife Queen Sonja, son Prince Haakon, and daughter-in-law Princess Mette-Marit. Two days later, Harald and Haakon, 49, inaugurated the Double-Track Express train line between Oslo and Ski. On Dec. 13, the King attended a pre-Christmas church service for the King's Guard at Oslo Cathedral. King Harald, who acceded to the throne in January 1991, has had a number of health battles in recent years. Earlier this year, the monarch underwent a leg operation in January and tested positive for COVID-19 in March, followed by a hospital stay in August for an infection. Per Ole Hagen/Getty The King also underwent surgery in 2003 for bladder cancer and another operation for heart valve problems in 2005. Prince Haakon, who is first in line to the Norwegian throne, has briefly assumed the responsibilities of the King on several occasions.