This fateful 2025 couldn't end worse for the Norwegian royal family. The country wakes up this Friday with the news that Crown Princess Mette-Marit is not only not progressing satisfactorily in her illness but is also preparing for a lung transplant. In 2018, Prince Haakon's wife was diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that has completely affected her institutional agenda, with numerous medical leaves to ensure the necessary rest as advised by her medical team. Last October, Mette-Marit spoke again about her illness, stating on NRK channel that she needs help in her daily life. "I should have done it a long time ago, but now is the time. So I will. Because I need a little more help than before to face daily life with pulmonary fibrosis," she said, regarding a new pause in her agenda.
Nevertheless, Mette-Marit has maintained her presence at some recent significant events for the Crown, such as the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, which this year was awarded to Venezuelan democratic leader María Corina Machado, an event where the presence for the first time of Haakon and Mette-Marit's daughter, Princess Ingrid, was highlighted.
This Friday, it was revealed that Haakon's wife has spent a large part of the last six months at Jessheim National Hospital, undergoing all kinds of tests, and the results are concerning. "Gradually, normal lung tissue is replaced by more and more connective tissue, which leaves very little lung function and gradually reduces the ability to absorb oxygen," medical professionals explained to local media to clarify why a transplant is being considered.
Medical experts emphasize that patients with this illness are particularly vulnerable to infections, even those caused by a simple cold, which helps understand the princess's difficulty in fulfilling her official duties.
The Norwegian Royal House, in an effort to address the issue with maximum transparency, has explained that the fibrosis affecting the 52-year-old princess is "a disease that causes scarring in the lungs, resulting in reduced oxygen absorption." "This fall, several tests have shown a clear negative evolution in the health of the Crown Princess. Therefore, doctors at Rikshospitalet have started preparations to evaluate her possibility of a lung transplant," as stated in the official communication from the institution, which also confirms that after several treatments, a major intervention is being considered for the first time.
The ailing health of the Crown Princess coincides with the scandal involving her eldest son, from a relationship prior to her marriage to the son of King Harald and Queen Sonja, Marius Borg, whose future will be decided in court early next year. The young man faces serious charges, including four rapes, as confirmed this week by Attorney General Sturla Henriksb in a press conference in Oslo, where he explained that Borg could face up to 10 years in prison and made it clear that he will not receive any special treatment due to his royal family ties.
Mette-Marit's own actions in support of her son have been heavily criticized in Norway, to the extent that a recent survey indicated that only 30% of citizens believe she will be a good queen consort.