Crown Princess Mette‑Marit Undergoes Successful Lung Transplant
Mette‑Marit’s 52‑year‑old body now carries a donor lung, experts say, following a complex operation at Oslo’s St. Olav’s Hospital. The transplant was deemed successful, with the chief specialist noting she will remain in a close‑monitoring ward for several weeks - a normal procedure for post‑transplant patients.
The Crown Princess had been battling a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis since 2018, a condition that gradually worsened and forced her to retreat from many official duties. As her breathing deteriorated, a German‑born lung transplant became the only viable option.
Prince Haakon will now adjust his official schedule to "support her," the palace said, underscoring the trans‑national endurance of the royal household.
The transplant arrives two days after her son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison for rape, a development that has heightened domestic scrutiny on the family.
Historian Ole‑Jørgen Schulsrud‑Hansen hailed the operation as "very happy news for the Norwegian royal family and the Kingdom of Norway," noting that it cleared a major obstacle to Mette‑Marit’s future health.
Medical advice from lung specialist Are Holm framed the post‑operative period as "delicate," highlighting the lifelong need for immunosuppressive drugs and the statistic that only about half of lung recipients survive beyond ten years.
The transplant is the latest of several personal and public setbacks for the royals, which began last year with the revelation of Mette‑Marit’s brief friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She later expressed regret for her “poor judgement” and publicly apologized to the king and queen.
For more on the Crown Princess’s medical journey, you can view a detailed history here. You can also read more about the son’s conviction here.
"This was one of the most serious obstacles on the road for a better health for the Crown Princess, and I think many people are relieved the transplant was successful," Holm remarked.
The royal pair’s health crisis arrives amid a wider conversation about the vulnerability of public figures, underscoring how medical emergencies can magnify personal narratives and national expectations.
