Norway’s crown princess on list for lung transplant

Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been put on a waiting list for a lung transplant after her health worsened, the royal family said.

The 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon, heir to the Norwegian throne, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic disease that scars the lungs and leads to reduced oxygen intake, in 2018.

“As a result of her life-threatening chronic lung disease and following extensive medical examinations, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on the lung transplant list,” the palace said in a statement on Friday. he said.

In December, Oslo University Hospital said the time was approaching when the transplant was due, but the crown princess had not yet been placed on Norway’s list of possible recipients.

While Crown Prince Haakon cut short his official visit to Japan and returned home to be with his wife, the couple’s daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, returned to Oslo from Australia, where she was a student.

Oslo University Hospital Professor Are Holm said in the statement made by the palace that Mette-Marit’s lung disease is serious and that she will receive a transplant “as soon as possible.”

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere praised the crown princess for being open about her condition and said it could help others suffering from similar problems.

The Palace said the Crown Prince and Princess had postponed celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, which was scheduled for August.

Mette-Marit was a 25-year-old single mother and commoner when she met Haakon at a music festival in 1999; It was the beginning of an unlikely royal romance that began with media outrage and won the support of the vast majority of the country.