Norwegian Royal Family Issues Urgent Update on Future Queen's Health as She Undergoes "Long Process" for Lung Transplant

Crown Princess Mette-Marit in a pink blazer

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, and on Friday, December 19, the Norwegian royal issued an update on her chronic lung disease. As she revealed to Norwegian media outlet NRK, the future queen of Norway will need to undergo a lung transplant due to the recent developments in her health.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease in which scar tissue builds up in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe and get enough oxygen. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is married to the country's future king, Crown Prince Haakon, told NRK that she's spent the past six months "taking new tests, and then we have had a number of conversations this fall about lung transplantation."

"That is what is new, that we are starting to approach that step," she shared in the broadcaster's Year with the Royal Family program at their home in Skaugum. "It has been…It has been a long process to get there for me mentally," the crown princess admitted.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit sitting with Princess Ingrid Alexandra and two women at a table — Crown Princess Mette-Marit is seen visiting a nursing home with daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra on December 17.

Mette-Marit, who shares daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra and son Prince Sverre Magnus with Crown Prince Haakon, revealed that her pulmonary fibrosis has progressed "faster" than anticipated.

"I have always hoped that we would be able to keep the disease in check with medication, and the development has actually been quite slow up until now. Whereas now the development has been faster than both I and the doctors had hoped for," the future queen shared.

Crown Prince Haakon also noted the difference in his wife's health, sharing, "We have seen that she is struggling more to breathe."

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus sitting in a row at a nursing home — Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus are pictured on December 17.

The crown princess said that it was tough both for herself and her family to make the decision to move forward, sharing, "Just thinking about the idea that this is the next step is quite demanding, because it is an operation with a lot of risk associated with it."

The timeline for her operation has not been set, but in a palace statement, Professor Are Martin Holm of Oslo University Hospital's pulmonary unit said, "We are approaching the time when a lung transplant must be performed, and we are making the necessary preparations so that it will be possible when that time comes."

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.