Norway's New Queen Is Forced to Miss Husband King Haakon's Swearing-In Ceremony After Doctor Confirms "Complications" From Lung Transplant
Queen Mette-Marit is being "observed throughout the day" as Norway continues to mourn the loss of King Harald.
King Haakon of Norway was officially sworn in as the country’s new monarch on Tuesday, September 1, but there was one important member of the royal family who wasn’t in attendance at the milestone event. Haakon’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, had to skip the ceremony after suffering from unknown complications due to her recent lung transplant.
King Harald V died at the age of 89 on August 28, making his son Norway’s new king. Queen Mette-Marit was due to support her husband as he took an oath before parliament as the new king, but on Tuesday, the Norwegian royal court released a statement explaining her absence.
"It is not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant. The Queen has had complications on some occasions since the operation, including today," pulmonologist Are Holm, Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the National Hospital, said. "As a result, the Queen must be observed throughout the day. The Queen will therefore unfortunately not be able to attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Storting today."
King Haakon was joined by his daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, during the swearing-in ceremony on September 1.
Queen Sonja, Princess Martha Louise, Queen Mette-Marit and King Haakon view the public's tributes to King Harald on August 31.
Queen Sonja, Princess Martha Louise, Queen Mette-Marit and King Haakon view the public's tributes to King Harald on August 31.
King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit’s 22-year-old daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, stood in for her mother at the ceremony, sitting next to her father’s gilded chair.
Queen Mette-Marit, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, received her lung transplant in June. She was not scheduled to take on any formal duties for the rest of 2026 as she continues to recover from the surgery. However, King Harald’s death pushed the new queen into the spotlight. She held Queen Sonja’s hand on August 31 as they processed with King Harald’s coffin through the palace, and Mette-Marit also joined the crowds gathered outside, viewing the flowers, drawings and other tributes to the late king.
“I know that our new queen really wanted to come,” Parliament Speaker Masud Gharahkhani said, per NRK. But she is in a rehabilitation phase and it is a family in mourning. Everything that happened yesterday, with following the bier to the Palace Chapel, is tough.”
King Harald's funeral is scheduled for September 9, but at the current time, it's unclear whether Queen Mette-Marit will be well enough to attend.
