The Norwegian royal family is navigating a tumultuous period as Crown Princess Mette-Marit battles pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease. According to a Norwegian media outlet cited by Marie Claire, Crown Prince Haakon announced at a press conference that their daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, will soon leave her university in Australia to spend time with her ailing mother.
Due to the Crown Princess's declining health, the Norwegian royal family confirmed on May 29 that Crown Prince Haakon will not travel to Japan as previously planned. Speaking to NRK, the Crown Prince stated that Ingrid Alexandra wishes to be with her mother and "plans to come home soon, and it has to do with the family situation."
Pulmonary fibrosis, as defined by the Cleveland Clinic, is a condition where lung tissue becomes scarred and thickened, making deep breathing difficult. It falls under interstitial lung diseases, which affect the tissue between the air sacs. Healthy lung tissue is soft and elastic, expanding with each breath, but scarred tissue loses this elasticity. Consequently, the lungs gradually lose their ability to function, leading to a persistent cough, breathlessness after simple activities like housework or a short walk, and profound fatigue that does not improve.
Providing an update on his wife's health a few days earlier, Crown Prince Haakon said, "The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately." Crown Princess Mette-Marit was seen wearing a nasal cannula when she made her first public appearance on April 10. Princess Ingrid Alexandra, the next heir to the Norwegian throne, is studying international relations and political economy at the University of Sydney. Haakon noted that they are uncertain how long Ingrid will remain in Norway, but she aims to complete her three-year bachelor's degree in Australia.
The family is also concerned as Queen Sonja, the mother of Crown Prince Haakon, was recently hospitalized due to heart-related complications, adding to the difficulties faced by the royal household. In December 2025, doctors at Rikshospitalet University Hospital began evaluating the Crown Princess for a potential lung transplant.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby was born on August 19, 1973, in Kristiansand, a coastal city in southern Norway, as the youngest of four siblings. Her father, Sven O. Høiby, worked as a small-scale journalist and advertiser. She married Crown Prince Haakon on August 25, 2001, becoming Norway's Crown Princess. She pursued higher education at the University of Agder (formerly Agder University College), the University of Oslo, and SOAS – the School of Oriental and African Studies – at the University of London. She holds a Master of Management degree from BI Norwegian Business School, according to the official website of The Royal House of Norway. An avid reader, her leisure interests include art, design, film, and theatre.
