Crown Princess Mette-Marit Is "Seriously Ill" and Relies on Oxygen

Crown Princess Mette-Marit wearing an oxygen tube — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Crown Princess Mette-Marit was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, and her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, issued an update on his wife’s health on May 26. Speaking to members of the media after presenting the Abel Prize mathematics award in Oslo, the future King said he’s “worried” about Mette-Marit’s worsening condition.

“The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately,” Crown Prince Haakon shared, adding, “So I am worried about her health.”

Pulmonary fibrosis is an incurable condition that results in scarred lung tissue and difficulty breathing. Mette-Marit wore a nasal cannula for the first time in public on April 10, and the crown prince said that she now relies on it daily. “She uses oxygen in her everyday life, and that helps a bit,” Crown Prince Haakon said.

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Crown Princess Mette-Marit walking next to Crown Prince Haakon — An aide carries an oxygen tank as Crown Princess Mette-Marit joins her husband and their daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, for an event on April 10.

Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon on Norwegian Constitution Day — The crown princess removed her oxygen and sat on a stool during Norwegian Constitution Day with Crown Prince Haakon and their son, Prince Sverre Magnus.

Due to the disease, Mette-Marit has pulled back from her regular duties and is now making occasional appearances with the Norwegian royal family.

In December, the crown princess announced that she would need a lung transplant. Speaking of the surgery’s timing, Crown Prince Haakon said it was “up to the doctors” and “they’re the ones who decide when it should happen, when it’s right.” However, he added, “But I think she's gotten a lot worse lately, unfortunately.”

Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK in their Year with the Royal Family program, Mette-Marit opened up about her worsening condition.

“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,” she said. “Whereas now the development has been faster than both I and the doctors had hoped for.”

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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.