Norway’s Crown Princess Mette‑Marit has undergone a successful lung transplant in Oslo, the royal household announced early today. The operation comes after years of dealing with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis diagnosed in 2018.
According to lung specialist Are Holm, the transplant went well and will be followed by a period of hospital observation lasting several weeks – a standard procedure for transplant patients. “We are delighted that everything has progressed well so far,” Holm said.
The palace also said that Prince Haakon will adjust his official schedule to support his wife during the immediate recovery period.
The operation coincides with unsettling news from a weekend court where Mette‑Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment after being convicted of two counts of rape. Though Høiby admitted to lesser offences, he denied the most serious charges and plans to appeal.
Royal historian Ole‑Jørgen Schulsrud‑Hansen called the transplant "very happy news for the Norwegian royal family and the Kingdom of Norway." He added that the procedure offered relief to a public who had seen the princess’s health decline.
Mette‑Marit, who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, had been forced to reduce public duties as her condition worsened. The need for a nasal breathing tube was first noticed in a photo taken on 17 May, and the Royal Household revealed she had been placed on the transplant list just 12 days earlier.
Holm emphasised that transplant recovery is delicate: recipients must take immunosuppressive drugs for life and only about 12.5% of lung transplant patients survive the first year. The Princess’s case highlights the broader medical challenges the royal family faces.
This development joins a string of controversies, including a January release of documents linking Mette‑Marit to the late sex‑offender Jeffrey Epstein. The princess later apologized for the friendship, describing it as “poor judgement.”
