Crown Prince Haakon has cut short a visit to Japan to tend to the health of his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Last year, the Princess withdrew entirely from her international schedule, missing numerous important engagements. This year, her health is affecting Haakon’s international visits, reshaping his calendar and inspiring concern.
What the Norwegian Royal House Statement Says: Tokyo Program Confirmed, Hachinohe Canceled
The Royal House of Norway issued a statement informing that Crown Prince Haakon will stick to his official engagements in Tokyo from June 1 to 3. They announced that his trip to Hachinohe, scheduled for June 4th, was canceled. The trip had Haakon accompanied by a large business delegation and was meant to strengthen ties between Japan and Norway, centering on maritime economies and key exports between both countries.
In past months, Haakon has been scaling back his international duties to account for his wife’s health. The trip to Japan represented the Crown’s most significant royal engagement of the year, with other members of the family, like King Harald and Queen Sonja, dealing with health conditions of their own that prevented them from traveling abroad.
© NTBMette-Marit’s Deterioration and Her Possible Lung Transplant
Earlier this week, during an official engagement, Crown Prince Haakon said his wife was “gravely ill” and that her situation was concerning. He made it clear that Mette-Marit is currently on a wait list for a lung transplant, though the prince acknowledged he did not know when the procedure could take place. “It is up to the doctors. It is a medical matter,” he said, as reported by HOLA! Spain.
“They decide when it should be done, when the right moment is. But I think she has gotten much worse lately, unfortunately.”
Mette-Marit’s pulmonologist, Professor Are Martin Holm, previously explained that preparations for the lung transplant are underway. He reminded journalists that pulmonary fibrosis, the condition with which the princess was diagnosed in 2018, is incurable and progresses over time, causing scarring in the lungs and making breathing more difficult.
© Getty ImagesKing Harald’s Age and Queen Sonja’s Cardiac Hospitalization
The Crown Princess was last seen in public on May 17, during Norway’s Constitution Day. The holiday, which marks the signing of the 1814 Constitution, is celebrated yearly with parades, music, flags, and public gatherings. While Mette-Marit was in attendance, she was using supplemental oxygen and a nasal cannula. At one point, she was seen seated on a stool, accompanied by her husband and their son, Prince Sverre Magnus, 20.
The royal family is navigating a difficult stretch. The Crown Princess awaits the verdict in the rape trial involving her son Marius Borg Høiby, which concluded in March. He was arrested in 2024 and faces 40 charges, including four counts of rape. He has denied the most serious allegations. A verdict is expected on June 15.
Mette-Marit has also been under scrutiny for her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, with her addressing the connection publicly for the first time in a March interview.
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