Norway’s Crown Princess Undergoes Successful Lung Transplant, Palace Says

Thu Jun 18 2026 08:26:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Mette‑Marit has had a lung transplant in Oslo and will remain in hospital for weeks, amid her son’s sentencing and a previous Epstein controversy.

Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, plagued by pulmonary fibrosis since 2018, underwent a successful lung transplant last week in Oslo. The palace announced the operation’s success and that she will be monitored closely for several weeks. Meanwhile, her son Marius was sentenced to four years in prison for rape, adding stress to the royal family. A recent reveal of Mette‑Marit’s contact with former sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has stretched the family’s public image, though she has already apologized.

Norway’s Crown Princess Undergoes Successful Lung Transplant, Palace Says

The Norwegian royal household confirmed that Crown Princess Mette‑Marit has successfully received a new lung after a long battle with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis that first surfaced in 2018. The procedure, carried out in Oslo, was announced as “delighted” by hospital specialist Are Holm.

Holm explained that the princess will spend several weeks in the hospital under close observation—standard practice for any recipient of a transplant. He noted that patients must be given life‑long immunosuppressant therapy and that a one‑year survival rate for lung transplants is around 75 %, while 50 % remain alive after a decade.

The operation came two days after Marius Borg Høiby, the princess’s son, was sentenced to four years in prison for rape. Høiby, who is not a royal title holder, had sought release to spend time with his mother during her illness, but the court denied the request.

Crown Prince Haakon has rearranged his public schedule to support his wife, while historian Ole‑Jørgen Schulsrud‑Hansen described the transplant as a “very happy news” for the Norwegian royal family. He added that “the procedure removed one of the most serious obstacles to a better health for the Crown Princess.”

The transplant adds to a difficult year for the royals. Earlier this year, documents were released that revealed Mette‑Marit’s frequent contact with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; she later apologized to the king and queen for the friendship, calling it a lapse in judgment. Read the full apology here.

The palace emphasized that the prop family will, for now, remain charitable with priority for the sickest patients on the national transplant list. “Mette‑Marit is on the list for severe cases, suggesting a year‑long prognosis – a situation that demands immediate care,” Holm added.

While the princess’s long‑term recovery will require vigilance, the successful operation offers a beacon of hope for her and for thousands battling lung disease worldwide.