Mette-Marit’s last public appearance is the oxygen device.Image: keystone
People News
Mette-Marit, the Crown Princess of Norway, suffers from an incurable lung disease. The 52-year-old needs a new organ sooner rather than later. Despite their tarnished reputation, there is great solidarity in Norway.
June 11, 2026, 04:36June 11, 2026, 04:42
The wife of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable disease in which the lung tissue becomes increasingly scarred and hardened. This reduces oxygen supply, making breathing more difficult. It was recently revealed that Mette-Marit’s symptoms have worsened and she needs an organ transplant.
When this fact became known, there was great solidarity in Norway. The number of people registering for organ donation at the country’s responsible foundation literally exploded: According to the Norwegian TV station “NRK”, more than 6,000 people registered as donors within just a few days. Typically, daily new registrations are only around 70.
Mette-Marit is currently on the waiting list for a new organ. The prerequisite for this is that doctors predict that an affected person will die in less than a year if they do not receive a transplant. There are currently around 600 people waiting for a new lung in Norway, and the waiting times are considered relatively short. The wave of solidarity with Mette-Marit could also benefit numerous other patients.
The Norwegian Crown Princess is not without controversy in the country, especially since it became known that the 52-year-old had maintained a close relationship with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and had publicly lied about it. There are also the negative headlines surrounding her son Marius Hoiby, who is also accused of sexual and drug offenses. He is said to have raped and secretly filmed several women; the trial against him is ongoing. A verdict is expected shortly. (con)