Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on a lung transplant waiting list, the royal palace has confirmed.
The princess, who is married to Crown Prince Haakon, lives with an incurable lung disease and suspended official duties. She will undergo the operation as soon as a donor is available. Her announcement comes amid outrage in the country over her association with the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Princess has also been reeling from the ongoing rape trial of her son, Marius Borg Høiby.
Mette-Marit, 52, was diagnosed with a rare type of pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. The condition causes difficulties while breathing and scar tissue that develops in the lungs hardens the organ and makes it more difficult to breathe.
View 3 ImagesCrown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is waiting for a lung transplant (Image: NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
In December last year, she told Norway’s public broadcaster NRK her illness had progressed “faster than I’d hoped” and bemoaned no longer being able to go on hiking trips with her husband. In the six months since, her condition has worsened.
A Norweigian royal family statement read: “As a result of her life-threatening chronic lung disease and after thorough health examinations, Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on the list for lung transplantation.
“The development of the Crown Princess’s lung disease is serious. After a comprehensive medical assessment, she has now been placed on the list of people who will undergo a lung transplant as soon as possible, says consultant and lung specialist Are Holm at Rikshospitalet. “Pending the operation, it will not be possible for the Crown Princess to work or carry out official programs as normal. The Crown Princess’s health situation also has consequences for the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince Family’s programs and activities.”
Professor Are Holm, who specialises in lung treatments at Oslo University Hospital reportedly told the Norwegian Royal Family: “We can see that there has been a significant increase in scar tissue in her lungs over the past year – and lung function tests show that her lung function has declined considerably in the last three months alone.”
View 3 ImagesCrown Princess Mette Marit of Norway said she was not able do do hobbies with her husband Crown Prince Haakon(Image: Getty Images)
He added the sudden deterioration was “dangerous” and that was the reason why she was placed on the transplant list. But a successful transplant depends on numerous factors, including finding the right match.
Holm described placing the crown princess as a last resort and the reason for doing so was because she is very ill and has a limited life expectancy. He added patients must be in sufficiently good condition in order to handle a huge toll on the body during an operation.
Her waiting game comes as her 29-year-old son remains in custody ahead of a verdict in his trial. His fate is set to be heard in the coming weeks.
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Høiby was charged with four counts of rape and a serious assault, all of which he pleaded not guilty.