Norway's Princess Ingrid Alexandra will continue her studies at the University of Sydney, but as an exchange student from her home country, as her mother's health continues to deteriorate.
A spokesperson for the palace confirmed that the 21-year-old had returned to Norway to be with her mother but would spend the autumn semester of 2026 as an exchange student at the University of Oslo as part of her studies at the University of Sydney.
The future Queen of Norway had flown to Australia to start a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in August last year.
“I’m looking forward to starting my studies at the University of Sydney,” the young princess said at the time. “It will be exciting to become a student, and I’m looking forward to gaining new perspectives on both European and international politics. I’m sure that I will learn a lot.”
Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the granddaughter of Norway’s current monarch, 89-year-old King Harald V, and is currently second in line to the throne after her father, Crown Prince Haakon, 52. She made history as the first female heir to the Norwegian throne.
Haakon announced his daughter’s plans to return to the University of Sydney in the future. “She plans to complete her studies in Australia, but we’ll have to come back to how long she stays home,” he said during an official visit to Japan that was cut short last week due to concerns about his wife’s health.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a progressive lung disease that causes scarring of the lungs and shortness of breath. The princess’s younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, still plans to begin studies in Europe this autumn and will return to Norway “whenever the situation requires”, the palace said.
The return home of the princess comes as the Norwegian Palace announced that her mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, had been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Mette-Marit requires the transplant as a result of her life-threatening chronic lung disease.
“The progression of The Crown Princess’s lung disease is serious. 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,” said Professor of Medicine at the University of Oslo, Are Holm.
The crown prince and princess are postponing the celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary, which was planned for August, the palace said.
