Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, was added to the waiting list for a lung transplant after her health worsened, the Royal House said in a statement this Friday (5).
The 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon, who will be next in Norway, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a chronic disease that scars the lungs and leads to reduced oxygen absorption.
“As a result of her life-threatening chronic lung disease and following thorough health checks, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on the lung transplant list,” the palace said.
In December, Oslo University Hospital said the need for a transplant was increasing, but that the crown princess had not yet been included on Norway’s list of potential recipients.
Earlier this week, Crown Prince Haakon cut short an official visit to Japan, returning to Norway to be with his wife, while the couple’s daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, left Australia, where she studies, and returned to Oslo.
Mette-Marit’s lung disease was serious and she will undergo a transplant “as soon as possible”, Professor Are Holm of Oslo University Hospital said in a statement released by the palace.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere praised the Crown Princess for her transparency regarding her condition and said it could help others suffering from similar problems.
The crown prince and princess have postponed the celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary, which was scheduled for August this year, the palace added.
Mette-Marit was 25, a single mother and a commoner when she met Haakon at a music festival in 1999, sparking an unlikely royal romance that began with widespread media coverage and ended up winning over most of the nation.
