Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on a lung transplant waitlist. The royal house shared a statement with the public, following weeks of declining health, speculation, and canceled engagements from the royal family.
© LISE ASERUDMette-Marit, 52, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a progressive lung disease known for the scarring and stiffening of tissue that prevents the lungs from expanding when people breathe, blocking oxygen from making its way to the bloodstream. There's no cure for the disease, with a lung transplant being the only option for patients to fully recuperate.
Lung transplants are reserved for life-saving cases, usually for people who are facing the worst stages of their disease.
“The progression of The Crown Princess’s lung disease is serious,” said Are Holm, a consultant lung specialist at Oslo’s Rikshospitalet. “Following a comprehensive medical assessment, she has now been placed on the waiting list for patients who will undergo a lung transplant as soon as a suitable donor becomes available.”
The palace made it clear that Mette-Marit won't be participating in any of her royal duties as she awaits her transplant, focusing on rest and recovery. As of now, Mette-Marit and her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, will be postponing their silver wedding anniversary this August. She will also not be participating in a planned tour of Norway scheduled for September.
© Getty ImagesThe family changes their plans to support Mette-Marit
In past months, the family has rearranged their schedules and lives to spend time with Mette-Marit. This week, Haakon ended an important state visit to Japan early, canceling his visit to Hachinohe, scheduled for June 4th. “The Crown Prince will adjust his program in the period ahead to spend more time with The Crown Princess,” said the palace.
In an official engagement last week, Haakon addressed his wife's health with the public, sharing that Mette-Marit's health was worsening. "They decide when it should be done, when the right moment is. But I think she has gotten much worse lately, unfortunately," he said of the possibility of her lung transplant.
© Per Ole HagenPrincess Ingrid Alexandra has returned from Australia to Norway, where she was studying. She will be enrolled in the autumn at the University of Oslo to be closer to her family. Her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, will begin his studies in Europe this fall, "and will return to Norway whenever the situation requires," said the palace.
Marius Borg Hoiby, Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, is awaiting his trial verdict, which will be issued on June 15. Borg is on pretrial detention in Oslo prison and awaits the verdict on the case, where he was charged with 40 offenses, including four counts of rape and abuse within an intimate relationship. He denies the most serious accusations. Borg could be sentenced to up to seven years and seven months in prison.
© GTRES
