Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s Lung Transplant Alters Norwegian Royal Family’s Summer Plans

Crown Princess Mette‑Marit underwent a life‑saving lung transplant and is recovering at Oslo’s Rikshospitalet. The procedure has kept the Norwegian royal family in the capital this summer, cancelling the usual holiday on the royal yacht Norge and prompting King Harald (89), Queen Sonja (88) and Crown Prince Haakon (52) to stay in Oslo while the princess receives post‑operative care.

Prince Haakon has repeatedly postponed official engagements, including a minister‑council meeting and a diplomatic reception, to attend to his wife’s rehabilitation. The younger generation, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (22) and Prince Sverre Magnus (20), have also seen their public schedule reduced. During a recent appearance in Tønsberg, Ingrid Alexandra wore a white lace blouse originally worn by her mother, Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, during a 2017 trip to Ethiopia, a choice praised as a homage and an example of recycling. The family’s challenges are further compounded by the sentencing of Mette‑Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, to four years in prison.

Despite these hardships, the royals plan modest private gatherings for upcoming birthdays, with hopes of celebrating King Harald and Queen Sonja’s milestones later in the year.