Norway's Princess Mette-Marit Added to Lung Transplant Waiting List

Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, aged 52, has been placed on the national lung‑transplant waiting list after her pulmonary fibrosis rapidly worsened. Doctors at Oslo's Rikshospitalet say her respiratory function has deteriorated to a dangerous level and estimate she may have only about a year left without a transplant. The royal family, including Crown Prince Haakon and daughter Ingrid Alexandra, have returned from abroad to be with her, and the prince cut short a visit to Japan.

Norwegian law treats royals like any other citizen in organ allocation; no preferential status is granted. The procedure is described as high‑risk, requiring heart‑stop surgery and lifelong immunosuppressants, with a one‑in‑eight one‑year mortality rate for transplant patients. Norway averages about 120 donors a year, of which only roughly 25 % of organs are usable, highlighting the challenge of finding a suitable match.