Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has expressed deep concern over his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who has been battling pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scars lung tissue and makes breathing increasingly difficult. In a recent interview on May 26, the future king shared a heartbreaking update on her health.
The Serious Illness
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been facing a worsening health condition since 2018, when she was first diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Speaking to the media after presenting the Abel Prize mathematics award in Oslo, Crown Prince Haakon shared his deep concerns. “The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately,” he said. “So I am worried about her health.”
Daily Reliance on Oxygen
The progression of the disease has forced visible changes in the Crown Princess's daily life. On April 10, Mette-Marit wore a nasal cannula in public for the first time, and the Crown Prince confirmed that she now requires it every day. “She uses oxygen in her everyday life, and that helps a bit,” he said. Because of the ongoing toll of the illness, Mette-Marit has stepped back from regular royal duties, limiting her schedule to occasional appearances with the Norwegian royal family.
The Path Toward a Lung Transplant
In December, the Crown Princess announced that she would eventually need a lung transplant. When asked about the timing of the major surgery, Crown Prince Haakon explained that the decision rests entirely with her medical team. It is “up to the doctors,” he stated, adding, “they’re the ones who decide when it should happen, when it’s right.” However, he noted the unfortunate reality of her recent decline: “But I think she's gotten a lot worse lately, unfortunately.”
A Faster Progression Than Hoped
Mette-Marit herself recently opened up about the changing pace of her illness. Speaking to the Norwegian broadcaster NRK for their Year with the Royal Family program, she reflected on how the condition has defied their earlier expectations. “I have always hoped that we would be able to keep the disease in check with medication, and the development has actually been quite slow up until now,” she shared. “Whereas now the development has been faster than both I and the doctors had hoped for,” she added.
