After Lung Transplant: Mette-Marit Appears Smiling on the Sofa

The Norwegian royal court commented on the images with the words: "Yesterday was a historic evening! The whole family was on the edge of their seats!" and described that the King and Queen watched from Mågerø, the Crown Prince couple from the palace, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus directly at the stadium in the USA.

Online Reactions: Congratulations and Wishes for Recovery

The Norwegian national team had defeated Brazil 2-1 in the World Cup round of 16 match the previous day. Large crowds gathered outside the palace to celebrate the World Cup success, and Crown Prince Haakon joined the revelers and celebrated together with the crowd. One photo shows Haakon on Palace Square on land mimicking the rowing gesture – a gesture described as a trademark of Norwegian fans at this World Cup.

Under the Instagram post, alongside the celebratory comments about the sporting success, there were also numerous wishes for the Crown Princess's recovery. One user wrote: "Wie glücklich und erleichtert wir sind, die Kronprinzessin wiederzusehen! Herzlichen Glückwunsch an Norwegen zum Sieg!" Another comment read: "Norwegen hat gewonnen, aber noch wichtiger ist, dass die Kronprinzessin auf dem Weg der Besserung ist. Weiterhin gute Besserung!" Others expressed their emotion: "Es ist so berührend und schön zu sehen, dass Kronprinzessin Mette-Marit wieder gesund ist. Das freut mich viel mehr als ein Sieg bei der Weltmeisterschaft."

Background: Pulmonary Fibrosis and Transplant

On another Instagram image from the royal family, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus are seen together with Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, who hug striker Erling Haaland in a video. Princess Ingrid Alexandra (22) and Prince Sverre Magnus (20) supported the Norwegian team directly at the stadium in the USA.

The background to the publication is the Crown Princess's serious illness. Mette-Marit suffers from the serious disease pulmonary fibrosis, in which scar tissue forms in the lung tissue, which can lead to shortness of breath and coughing. The disease is considered incurable. Her condition had worsened in recent months. The court had announced weeks earlier that the Crown Princess had been placed on the waiting list for a new lung.

In mid-June, the Norwegian court then announced that Mette-Marit had received a new lung. Donor organs are scarce, which is why decisions about such procedures are often made at very short notice, and the exact date of the lung surgery was kept secret to protect the identity of the donor. The head of the department at Oslo University Hospital, Arnt Fiane, stated according to reports: "Die Lungentransplantation ist so weit erfolgreich verlaufen". At the same time, the court announced that Mette-Marit would have to remain in hospital for several more weeks.

Open Questions About Recovery

Crown Prince Haakon has additionally adjusted his schedule to be able to support his wife. The Crown Princess is now recovering at the Skaugum estate. The Norwegian court initially did not confirm to Norwegian media whether the palace photos meant that Mette-Marit had been discharged from hospital, and provided no further information about the Crown Princess's state of health.

With the new photos, the court is giving the public the first visible sign of life from the Crown Princess since the transplant and combining it with a shared family moment centered around the greatest sporting success of the Norwegian team in years.