Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, aged 52, has been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant as a result of a life-threatening chronic lung disease, according to an announcement from the Norwegian royal household. The princess, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, will be unable to fulfill her royal duties while she awaits a suitable donor.

Impact on Royal Duties

The palace’s statement highlighted the severity of the princess’s condition, with consultant lung specialist Are Holm from Oslo’s Rikshospitalet confirming the need for a transplant following a comprehensive medical assessment. As a result, Crown Princess Mette-Marit will not participate in official engagements during this period.

The situation also affects her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, who returned early from an official visit to Japan to be with his wife. The couple has postponed their silver wedding anniversary celebrations and a planned tour of Norway. The Crown Prince will adjust his schedule to spend more time with the princess, limiting his travel both domestically and internationally around the time of the operation.

Family Adjustments

The couple’s daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, has returned to Norway from Australia, where she was studying, to attend the University of Oslo for the autumn semester. Meanwhile, her brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, will begin his studies in Europe but will return to Norway as needed.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who became a member of the royal family in 2001 after marrying Crown Prince Haakon, has faced personal challenges recently. Her older son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, is currently on trial for rape, and the princess herself was linked to a controversy involving a past association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.