EXCLUSIVE: Inside the 'Heartbreaking and Brutal Health Crisis' Shaking Norway's Royal Family to Its Core
Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on the lung transplant waiting list.
June 13 2026, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is facing the most serious chapter yet in her long battle with pulmonary fibrosis after being placed on a lung transplant waiting list, deepening concerns about the future queen's health and intensifying what many see as an extraordinarily difficult period for the Norwegian royal family.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Mette-Marit was diagnosed with the incurable lung disease in 2018 and has experienced a significant deterioration in recent months, according to medical specialists and Norway's Royal Court.
Princess Mette-Marit Halts Duties For Organ
Medical specialists placed Crown Princess Mette-Marit on a transplant list.
The condition causes progressive scarring of lung tissue, making breathing increasingly difficult over time.
Norway's royal household recently announced the Crown Princess had suspended official duties and further medical updates would not be issued until after a transplant procedure takes place.
The development comes as the country's monarchy continues to contend with a series of personal and public challenges, including the criminal case involving Mette-Marit's eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, and renewed scrutiny surrounding the Crown Princess's past contact with Jeffrey Epstein before the pedo died in 2019.
Sources close to the Norwegian royal household said the worsening health crisis has placed immense emotional strain on the family.
One source told us, "There is a growing sense of concern because this is no longer being viewed as a condition that can simply be managed through adjustments to her schedule. The situation has become far more serious."
'This Has Been an Exceptionally Difficult Period for the Family'
Pulmonary fibrosis caused progressive scarring on the princess' delicate lung tissue.
Another insider said: "The Crown Princess has remained determined to continue public engagements whenever possible, but those around her understand that her health must now take priority over everything else.
"This has been an exceptionally difficult period for the family. Between ongoing personal challenges and the uncertainty surrounding Mette-Marit's condition, there is a recognition that the coming months could be critical, and it feels as if the monarchy is now being shaken to its very core."
Medical experts have also expressed concern about the progression of the Crown Princess' disease.
Are Holm, a lung specialist at Oslo University Hospital, said: "The Crown Princess has had a significant worsening of her pulmonary fibrosis over the past six months.
"We see in the pictures that much more scar tissue has developed over the past year."
Holm also explained that patients placed on transplant waiting lists are generally considered to be seriously ill and said it was impossible to predict when a suitable donor organ might become available.
Concern over the Crown Princess' health became more apparent during Norway's Constitution Day celebrations on May 17, when she was photographed wearing a nasal cannula to assist her breathing while attending public events.
Crown Prince Haakon expressed deep worry about his wife's failing health.
Her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, 52, recently acknowledged the deterioration in her condition.
He said: "The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately. So I am worried about her health. And these six months have gone pretty well, I think. But there are different phases. So we just have to try to solve it as best we can."
When asked whether Mette-Marit could be placed on a transplant waiting list, Haakon added, "It's up to the doctors, it's a medical question.
"So they're the ones who decide when it should happen, when it's right. But I think she's gotten a lot worse lately, unfortunately."
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Prosecutors charged Marius Borg Høiby with multiple criminal offenses.
The health crisis arrives amid continued scrutiny surrounding Høiby, who faces multiple criminal charges, including rape and sexual assault allegations.
Høiby, 29, denies wrongdoing, and a verdict is expected later this month.
Additional pressure has come from renewed attention on Mette-Marit's past correspondence with Epstein.
Earlier this year, the Crown Princess publicly apologized for maintaining contact with the convicted sex offender, describing her actions as "embarrassing" and acknowledging they reflected poor judgment.
Last month, Mette-Marit appeared publicly alongside Haakon and Prince Sverre Magnus at their Skaugum residence near Oslo, smiling and waving to crowds despite the mounting challenges confronting Norway's future king and queen.
