Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has undergone a successful lung transplant, only 12 days after she was first placed on a transplant waiting list.
Mette-Marit, 52, required the transplant due to her life-threatening chronic lung disease. The future queen was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a progressive lung disease that causes scarring of the lungs and shortness of breath.
Her worsening condition in recent weeks prompted her 22-year-old daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, to rush home from Australia, where she had been completing a degree at the University of Sydney.
“The lung transplant has been successful thus far,” said Professor Arnt Fiane, cardiothoracic surgeon and Head of the Heart and Lung Transplant Programme at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet. “I should like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all members of the team involved in both the planning and execution of the procedure.”
The exact date of the surgery is unknown due to strict laws in Norway preventing identification of donors.
“We are delighted that everything has progressed well so far. In accordance with standard practice for all recent transplant recipients, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess will remain admitted to Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet for several weeks to come,” said Professor Are Holm, Senior Consultant and respiratory specialist at Oslo University Hospital.
“This is a routine procedure to adjust medication, manage any potential complications, and undertake rehabilitation.”
The royal family also confirmed that Mette-Marit's husband, Crown Prince Haakon, 52, will step back from public duties while he supports his wife during her recovery.
Son Sentenced for Rape
The news of the crown princess's lung transplant comes only days after her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, was sentenced to four years in prison for rape. Hoiby, 29, Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship before her 2001 marriage to Haakon, was found guilty of two counts of rape and 32 other offences on Monday.
Local Norwegian news outlet SE OG Hor reported that Hoiby was granted visitation rights to see his mother in hospital both before and after her surgery, with security sneaking him in through the back of the hospital.
Mette-Marit's husband and two other children have also been seen visiting the hospital, as the palace confirms her two younger children will take on more public roles while their parents focus on the mother's recovery.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who made history as the first female heir to the Norwegian throne, was confirmed earlier in the month to spend the autumn semester of 2026 as an exchange student at the University of Oslo, before returning to Sydney sometime in the future. Her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, still plans to begin studies in Europe.
