OSLO — A somber atmosphere gripped the Norwegian capital on Friday as emotional citizens gathered to lay flowers outside the gates of the Royal Palace.

The spontaneous public outpouring followed an alarming medical update from the royal household, which officially confirmed that 87-year-old King Harald V’s condition in hospital has turned “extremely serious.”

As medical teams closely monitor the monarch, well-wishers across the country continue to leave candles and notes, standing in quiet solidarity with the revered royal family.