Queen Sonja of Norway told reporters on Friday that King Harald "will soon be on his feet." She was visiting Lillehammer for an official engagement sand her husband. The royal couple was supposed to attend the event together.

On Friday morning, it was not clear whether Queen Sonja would attend the event as planned following the hospitalisation of King Harald. But, the county governor of Innlandet said in a statement that the Royal Court confirmed that the visit would continue, without the king.

This was the first time anyone in the Norwegian royal family appeared in public after the king was admitted to hospital on Friday morning. He was hospitalised due to trouble in breathing. Crown Prince Haakon as a regent will take over all his father's duties until Oct. 4, Royal Central reports. Sonja was in the hospital with her husband until Friday morning.

"It looks like it is going very well. The King himself is happy and the doctor is happy. He will take some samples and will soon be on his feet,"Sonja said.When asked if the king was on his feet, the queen said:"Not yet, but he will probably be on his feet soon."

Prior to the queen's visit to Lillehammer, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said to TV2: "I am glad to hear that it sounds like the King is only being checked up as a precaution. I am sure we will see an active King Harald perform his duties this autumn."

Harald and Sonja were supposed to mark the process to make the latter's childhood home a museum. The queen's childhood home is now located in the 1930 area in Maihaugen Museum on Lillehammer. The villa was moved from Vinderen in Oslo to Maihaugen and opened to the public in 2018.

Norway's King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and PM Stoltenberg attend ceremony to sign a protocol of condolence in Grand Hall of Oslo University
Norway's King Harald (L-R), Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg attend a ceremony to sign a protocol of condolence for the victims of last Friday's attacks in Oslo and on Utoeya island, in the Grand Hall of Oslo University July 25, 2011. Anders Behring Breivik wants to tell Norway and the world why he killed at least 93 people in a bomb attack and shooting rampage, but a judge ruled that Monday's custody hearing would be closed to the public. Reuters

The house has been restored as it was while Sonja Haraldsen lived there from 1937 to 1968. The house was built for the Haraldsen family, and Sonja lived here most of the time until she married then Crown Prince Harald in 1968. The house was built in 1935.

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