Norway’s Crown Princess Mette‑Marit Undergoes Successful Lung Transplant

The Danish‑born Crown Princess, who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, has undergone a lung transplant in Oslo, the Norwegian royal household confirmed on Thursday. Medical reports say the operation was “delivered successfully” and that the Princess will be kept in hospital for several weeks for post‑operative observation, a routine procedure for transplant recipients.

Mette‑Marit was first diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. The disease has progressively weakened her lungs, forcing her to withdraw from many public duties. In April and May 2024 the condition worsened enough to place her on the national transplant list, a list traditionally reserved for patients with an estimated year‑to‑live prognosis.

Lung specialist Dr. Are Holm, chief of the department that performed the surgery, noted that patients post‑transplant must take immunosuppressive medication for life. He added that a roughly 12.5 % of recipients do not survive the first year, while about half remain alive after ten years.

The transplant comes two days after her son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison for multiple rapes. The Crown Princess’ father, Prince Haakon, said he would adjust his official schedule to support her during recovery.

Royal commentator Ole‑Jørgen Schulsrud‑Hansen described the operation as a “very happy news for the Norwegian royal family and the Kingdom of Norway.” He added that “the transplant was the most serious obstacle in the Princess’ path to improved health.”

Mette‑Marit’s medical journey has already been marked by earlier public scrutiny, including a 2023 report exposing her close friendship with the late sex‑offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Princess later apologized to the Norwegian king and queen, admitting to “poor judgement” and stating she would have preferred not to have met Epstein.