Norway’s Royal Family is facing growing concern after Crown
Prince Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway admitted that his wife,
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, has become “a lot worse”
amid her long-running battle with a chronic lung disease.
The future Queen of Norway, who was diagnosed with pulmonary
fibrosis in 2018, is now using supplemental oxygen daily as her
condition continues to deteriorate. Speaking candidly following the
Abel Prize ceremony in Oslo, Crown Prince Haakon revealed he is
increasingly worried about his wife’s health.
“The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten
a bit worse lately. So I am worried about her health,” he told
Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
The rare and emotional update marks one of the clearest public
acknowledgements yet of the severity of Mette-Marit’s illness,
which has progressively limited her ability to carry out royal
duties.
Pulmonary fibrosis is an incurable condition that causes
scarring of the lungs and increasing breathing difficulties over
time. Last year, the Norwegian Palace confirmed preparations had
begun for the possibility of a lung transplant, with doctors
considering whether the Crown Princess should be formally placed on
a transplant waiting list.
Asked about the prospect, Haakon stressed that the decision
remained in the hands of medical specialists.
“It’s up to the doctors. It’s a medical question,” he said. “So
they’re the ones who decide when it should happen, when it’s right.
But I think she’s gotten a lot worse lately, unfortunately.”
Mette-Marit, 52, has continued to appear at selected public
engagements despite her deteriorating condition. During Norway’s
Constitution Day celebrations earlier this month, she was seen
wearing an oxygen cannula while standing alongside senior members
of the royal family, including Harald V and Sonja of Norway.
At one point during the ceremony at Skaugum, near Oslo, the
Crown Princess sat on a stool to conserve energy while accompanied
by her husband and their son, Prince Sverre Magnus.
The Crown Princess herself has spoken openly in recent months
about the impact the illness now has on daily life.
“I live with a serious illness, and it is what characterises my
everyday life now,” she said in an interview earlier this year. “It
is what determines whether I can even stand in my role or not.”
The worsening health crisis comes during a difficult period for
the Norwegian monarchy more broadly. Queen Sonja, 88, has also
recently reduced official engagements due to heart fibrillation,
forcing her to withdraw from several public appearances.
Despite the challenges, Mette-Marit has repeatedly expressed her
determination to continue working whenever possible, although
palace officials have acknowledged that her schedule increasingly
depends on fluctuations in her condition.
Haakon previously wrote about the uncertainty surrounding his
wife’s illness in an official biography published in 2023,
admitting the family never knows when engagements may suddenly need
to be cancelled.
“Illness is also a part of life,” he wrote, “as is addressing
challenges together.”