Norway's King Harald had heart surgery for the second time this month on Sunday because of a build-up of fluid in the 68-year-old monarch's chest. "It is necessary to remove the liquid," the palace said in a statement about the operation at Oslo's main hospital. A great-great grandson of Britain's Queen Victoria, Harald had surgery on April 1 to repair a faulty heart valve. Doctors said at the time the operation had been successful, with no further surgery planned. Harald had been out of bed and able to walk in hospital in recent days. NRK radio quoted a doctor as saying that a build-up of liquid was not an unusual complication after heart surgery. The palace said it would give more details once the operation was over. The first Harald to rule Norway since Viking times, the king also underwent surgery for bladder cancer in December 2003. Crown Prince Haakon is acting as regent during his father's absence. Queen Sonja represented Norway's royal family at the funeral of Pope John Paul on Friday. The king's role as head of state in Norway, celebrating its 100th anniversary of independence from Sweden this year, is largely ceremonial.
