OSLO, June 17 - Crown Princess Mette-Marit has undergone a lung transplant that Oslo University Hospital says has been "so far" successful, and she will remain under hospital care for several weeks as she starts her recovery, hospital doctors said on Wednesday.
The 52-year-old, wife of Crown Prince Haakon and a prominent member of Norway's royal family, was first diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. The chronic condition leads to scarring of lung tissue and diminished oxygen uptake.
The hospital released a statement through the palace indicating that the transplant procedure has been successful up to this point, but it did not provide a precise date for when the surgery was performed.
"Like all newly transplanted patients, the crown princess will remain at the hospital for several weeks to come," Professor Are Holm of Oslo University Hospital said. The period in hospital will be devoted to adjusting immunosuppressive and other medications, monitoring for and managing potential complications, and initiating physical rehabilitation to regain strength and respiratory function.
The transplant comes at a difficult and highly public moment for the royal household. Earlier this week the crown princess's 29-year-old son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was convicted of rape and domestic violence and received a four-year prison sentence. His lawyer has stated he intends to appeal the verdict.
On June 5 the hospital had announced that Mette-Marit had been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant after a marked deterioration in her health that, without the procedure, would likely have left her with about a year to live. The palace said the crown prince and crown princess expressed gratitude for messages of support from the public and that the next update on her condition would be provided only after she has been discharged from hospital.
Transplant process and allocation
Norway performs roughly 30 to 35 lung transplants annually, and hospital officials have emphasized that members of the royal family do not receive preferential access to donated organs. Waiting lists in Norway are relatively short, but candidates must meet stringent criteria to ensure the best chance of a successful transplant.
"It has to be the right size, it must be the correct blood type, and we have to make sure that the recipient doesn’t have antibodies against the tissue type of the organ," Professor Holm told reporters earlier this month. He added that aligning these factors is crucial to getting "the right organ to the right person."
Oslo University Hospital's data indicate that up to 90% of lung transplant recipients in Norway survive the first year following surgery, while about 55% remain alive after 10 years.
Public reaction and broader context
Concerns about the crown princess's health had been apparent for some time. In December, Crown Prince Haakon said the family had observed changes in Mette-Marit's condition and that she was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere commended the crown princess for speaking candidly about her illness, noting that such openness could benefit others coping with similar diseases.
Mette-Marit first entered public view as a 25-year-old single mother and commoner after meeting Crown Prince Haakon at a music festival in 1999. Their relationship initially sparked controversy but later gained broad acceptance among the Norwegian public.
However, support for the monarchy has been tested this year as several scandals unfolded. The conviction of Marius Borg Hoiby followed a widely covered trial. Separately, the crown princess has apologised to the king and queen for her past contact with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whom she described as a friend before cutting ties several years prior to his death in 2019.
Opinion polling by Norstat in February, conducted during Hoiby’s trial, showed public support for retaining the monarchy at a record low of 60%, before it rose slightly to 64% in May.
As the crown princess begins the early, closely monitored phase of post-transplant care, medical staff will focus on reducing the risk of rejection and infection, calibrating medication, and commencing rehabilitative therapies. Officials have indicated that they will provide a further status report only after she has been discharged from hospital.