Mette-Marit health update: Palace reveals Crown Princess of Norway’s rare and incurable disease ‘has progressed’ in bombshell statement

Crown Princess Mette-Marit‘s royal role is changing as her chronic pulmonary fibrosis progresses, the Royal House of Norway has announced.

The 51-year-old future Queen Consort of Norway – who married King Harald V’s only son and heir Crown Prince Haakon, also 51, in 2001 – was diagnosed with the rare and incurable disease in 2018.

“Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s chronic disease pulmonary fibrosis has progressed,” the Royal House of Norway said in a statement overnight.

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“The Crown Princess has daily symptoms and ailments that affect her ability to perform her duties. The Crown Princess needs more rest, and her daily routine changes more quickly than before,” the statement continued.

The Royal House of Norway said Mette-Marit’s official schedule might change more frequently and at shorter notice than previous changes that were made.

It was emphasised, however, that Mette-Marit was committed to her work and her calendar would change to facilitate that while also meeting her needs.

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“The Crown Princess has a strong desire to continue working, and therefore we will organize her official program in the future in the best possible way so that her health and work can be combined,” the statement concluded.

Mette-Marit – who became a working member of Norway’s royal family when she tied the knot with Haakon – had visited Oslo University Hospital Ullevål’s children’s entertainers on an official engagement on Wednesday (Thursday), though in recent months, cancellations and changes to her schedule had become more frequent.

In October and November, Mette-Marit took sick leave due to side effects from medications she had been taking to manage her disease.

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Chronic pulmonary fibrosis is a serious, progressive and lifelong lung disease, which causes scarring to and thickening of lung tissue, making it harder to breathe.

Symptoms include frequent coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue, and there is no cure, though medical treatments can slow its progression.

The progression of the princess’ disease comes at a challenging time for the Norwegian royal family, which spent much of the past year embroiled in scandal after Princess Märtha Louise’s marriage to Durek Verrett and Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Høiby’s multiple arrests and domestic violence charges.

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Borg Høiby – the 28-year-old stepson of Haakon who has no royal title or official duties – lives with his mother and her husband, as well as their two children.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who is 21 years old and second in line to the Norwegian throne, was the first child born to Haakon and Mette-Marit after their marriage, with 19-year-old Prince Sverre Magnus, who is third in line to the throne, following shortly after.

Borg Høiby, who has been in a drug rehabilitation program since December, is the son of Mette-Marit and convicted felon Morten Borg, with whom she had a brief encounter prior to her marriage to Haakon.

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