Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has successfully undergone a lung transplant at a hospital in Norway. The princess, who is married to Crown Prince Haakon, has been battling pulmonary fibrosis since 2018 and has been seen using an oxygen mask to help her breathe at recent engagements.
Successful Surgery and Recovery
The Norwegian Royal Family announced that the 52-year-old princess is recovering well after the major surgery. Head of Thoracic Surgery at Oslo University Hospital, Arna Tiane, said: "So far, the lung transplant has been a success."
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the team members who were involved in the planning and implementation," Tiane continued. "We are extremely pleased that everything has gone smoothly so far. Like the other newly transplanted patients, the Crown Princess will remain hospitalized at Rikshospitalet for the next few weeks."
Are Holm, head of the Pulmonology Department at the hospital, explained: "This is a routine procedure to adjust her medication, treat any complications, and carry out her rehabilitation."
Royal Family Statement
A statement from Norway's Royal Family read: "Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit has undergone a successful lung transplant at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet in Oslo. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess express their sincere gratitude for the many warm and kind messages they have received. This means a great deal to them at this challenging time."
Princess Ingrid Alexandra Returns Home
News of the surgery comes just weeks after Crown Prince Haakon shared that the couple's daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, has returned to Norway after studying in Australia at the University of Sydney to be with her mother amid her worsening condition.
Speaking to reporters, Crown Prince Haakon said Princess Ingrid Alexandra "plans to come home soon. It has to do with the family situation. She wants to be with her mother." It’s not known how long Princess Ingrid Alexandra will stay in Oslo but her father said: "she has plans to complete her studies in Australia…how long she will stay home, we will have to come back to that."
Recent Family Challenges
The statement from the Norwegian palace comes just days after Mette-Marit’s son, 29-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, was jailed for four years after being found guilty of two counts of rape. On Monday, judges convicted Høiby of raping two women, including one on the Crown Prince's estate at Skaugum in 2018 and another involving a woman in Oslo in 2024. He was also convicted of abusing an ex-girlfriend. He was cleared of two further rapes, involving a woman he met at an Oslo hotel and another he met in the Lofoten islands in 2023.
