Crown Prince Haakon cancels appointments due to Mette-Marit's lung disease

Mette-Marit suffers from an incurable pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that scars the tissue of the lungs and increasingly restricts breathing. As her attending physician explained, her condition has deteriorated significantly over the past six months. The previous week, the Royal Court had already announced that the Crown Princess had been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant. "Einziger Ausweg aus der tödlichen Krankheit ist ein komplizierter und hochriskanter Eingriff", it stated.

Pulmonary fibrosis: An incurable disease

The Royal Court further stated that Haakon would adjust his programme in order "in dieser Phase mehr Zeit mit der Kronprinzessin zu verbringen". The celebration of the silver wedding anniversary of the Crown Prince couple, planned for August, will also not take place as originally intended. Both decisions show how seriously the situation is currently being assessed in the House of Norway.

The Crown Princess's illness is also weighing on her close family environment. Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, had applied for release from pretrial detention out of concern for his mother's state of health. However, the court rejected the application. The 29-year-old is in pretrial detention awaiting verdict in a trial that has attracted international attention. He is charged with, among other offences, 40 crimes, including rape under Norwegian law.

Family pulls together

Meanwhile, daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra has returned to Oslo from Sydney. The 22-year-old is studying at the University of Sydney and had cut her stay short in order to be closer to her family. According to the Court, the younger son, Prince Sverre Magnus, is also continuing to prepare for his planned studies at a European university in the autumn. However, he has stated that he would come home "sofern die Situation es erfordere".

Cancellation in Stockholm and Oslo

The cancellation of the Stockholm visit marks a rare break with dynastic conventions, as relations between the Scandinavian royal houses are traditionally close. In Oslo, the Crown Prince's trip is being interpreted as a clear signal that the family currently has no higher priority than protecting the Crown Princess. In the coming days, further official statements from the Court are expected as soon as new information on Mette-Marit's state of health becomes available.