In brief
Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, aged 52, is facing a significant health crisis, with her doctors suggesting that a lung transplant may become necessary as her condition worsens. Diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, the princess has struggled with breathing difficulties. While her medical team prepares for the possibility of a transplant, she continues to express a desire to fulfill her royal duties despite increasing health challenges.
Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit will likely need a lung transplant as her health has worsened in recent months, the country's royal household has said.
The princess, 52, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. The degenerative disease creates scar tissue that stiffens the lungs making it difficult to breathe and for oxygen to enter the bloodstream.
Tests in autumn showed a clear worsening of her health, the palace said on Friday. We are reaching the point where a lung transplant will be necessary, Are Martin Holm, head of respiratory medicine at Oslo University Hospital, said.
Princess Mette-Marit told public broadcaster NRK that her illness had developed faster than I'd hoped.
No decision has been taken yet on whether she will be placed on the transplant waiting list, Dr Holm said. The palace said her doctors had started the process towards an evaluation for lung transplant surgery.
In Norway, there are usually between 20 and 40 patients on the waiting list for a lung transplant, and Princess Mette-Marit will not be given preferential treatment if she is placed on the list, local media reports.
Although she is not yet on a donor list, Dr Holm said her healthcare team was undertaking the necessary preparations to ensure that [a transplant] will be possible when the time comes.
The palace said Princess Mette-Marit had an increasing need for rest and a targeted exercise regimen.
However, she had expressed a strong interest in continuing to carry out her duties, it added in a statement on Friday. Her royal duties and engagements will be adapted to her ongoing health issues.
Dr Holm described pulmonary fibrosis to reporters as a dangerous disease that often could not be seen because it depended on how sick an individual was.
Princess Mette-Marit's husband, Prince Haakon, Norway's future king, sat beside her for an interview with NRK, where he explained that she may appear perfectly fine when sitting still, but he had noticed her struggling more with breathing.
The thought of the transplant alone had been demanding, Mette-Marit said, as she knew it would involve risks. A successful transplant hinges on several factors, including finding the right match and ensuring the body does not reject the new organ.
News of the princess' deteriorating health comes months after her eldest son was charged with multiple offences, including serious criminal charges.
