Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, has successfully received a lung transplant in Oslo after a 2018 diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis and recent deterioration. Hospital lung specialist Are Holm said she will stay in hospital for "several weeks" under close observation and will require lifelong immunosuppression. The operation occurred two days after her son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison; his legal team plans to appeal. Royal commentators called the news a relief for the family amid an otherwise difficult year.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit Undergoes Successful Lung Transplant in Oslo
Crown Princess Mette-Marit was last seen in public on 17 May wearing a breathing tube connected to an oxygen device [Getty Images]
Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, has undergone a successful lung transplant in Oslo, the Norwegian royal household confirmed.
The Crown Princess was first diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that causes breathing difficulties. Her condition worsened in recent months, and she was placed on the transplant waiting list 12 days before the operation.
Medical Update and Recovery
Are Holm, a lung specialist at the hospital, said in a palace statement that the operation went well and that Mette-Marit will remain in hospital for "several weeks to come" for close observation — standard care for recent transplant recipients. He emphasised that recovery will be delicate and that recipients typically require lifelong immunosuppressive medication to prevent organ rejection.
“We are delighted that everything has progressed well so far,” Holm said.
Holm also noted that about one in eight lung transplant recipients do not survive the first year after surgery and that roughly half of recipients are alive after ten years, underlining the seriousness of both the operation and the recovery period.
Family And Public Life
The palace said Crown Prince Haakon will adjust his official schedule to be with and support his wife during her hospital stay and recovery.
The transplant comes two days after Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison following convictions on two counts of rape. Høiby pleaded guilty to some lesser offences but denied the most serious charges; his lawyers have said they will appeal. Høiby, who was four when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon, is not an official member of the royal family.
Before the verdict, Høiby’s legal team unsuccessfully sought temporary release so he could be with his mother as her health declined.
Context And Reaction
Historian and royal commentator Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen described the successful transplant as a relief for the royal family and the Kingdom of Norway, calling it "very happy news" after a difficult period for the household.
The past year has been challenging for the royals for other reasons as well: in January documents revealed Crown Princess Mette-Marit's past contacts with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She later apologised to Norway’s king and queen, described her judgment as poor and said in a national television interview that she wished she had never met him.
The palace and medical team have underscored that while the surgery is an important step, the Crown Princess faces a cautious and closely monitored recovery.
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