OSLO — Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has undergone a successful lung transplant and is recovering in hospital, the Norwegian Royal Court and doctors at Oslo University Hospital said on Wednesday, following a rapid deterioration in the royal’s long-term lung disease.
The 52-year-old crown princess, the wife of Crown Prince Haakon and future queen consort of Norway, received the transplant at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet in Oslo. The palace did not disclose the date of the operation but confirmed that the procedure had been successful and that she would remain hospitalized for several weeks as part of her recovery.
“The lung transplant has been successful thus far,” Arnt Fiane, head of the Heart and Lung Transplant Programme at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, said in a statement released by the Royal Court. He also thanked medical personnel involved in planning and carrying out the procedure.
Doctors said Mette-Marit will remain under medical supervision while medication is adjusted, potential complications are monitored and rehabilitation begins. “We are delighted that everything has progressed well so far,” respiratory specialist Are Holm said in the statement.
The operation comes less than two weeks after the Royal Court announced that the crown princess had been placed on a lung transplant waiting list because of a serious worsening of pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic and progressive disease that scars lung tissue and reduces oxygen uptake. She was diagnosed with the condition in 2018 and has periodically reduced her public engagements because of health concerns.
When announcing her placement on the transplant list on June 5, Holm said the progression of her illness had become severe enough to require transplantation as soon as a suitable donor became available. The palace also suspended much of her official schedule at that time.
The Royal Court said Crown Prince Haakon will adjust his official program to support his wife during her recovery. The palace added that the crown prince and crown princess were grateful for messages of support received from the public.
According to the Royal Court, no further medical updates are expected until Mette-Marit is discharged from hospital. Details regarding the donor and the exact timing of the transplant remain undisclosed. As of Wednesday, officials said her recovery was proceeding according to standard post-transplant procedures.
