Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway's Health Has 'Gotten a Lot Worse,' Says Her Husband Crown Prince Haakon

Meredith KileWed, May 27, 2026 at 4:53 PM UTC

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Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway attends the Norwegian Constitution Day with the children's parade at their residence Skaugum on May 17, 2026
Credit: Per Ole Hagen/Getty -

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is "seriously ill," says her husband, Crown Prince Haakon

Princess Mette-Marit was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018 and has been seen wearing an oxygen tube at recent public events

King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway have also faced health complications this year

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is "seriously ill," according to her husband, Crown Prince Haakon.

The heir to the Norwegian throne, 52, spoke with reporters during an outing on May 26, where he gave a health update on his wife, also 52, who was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018.

“The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately," he said, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. "So I am worried about her health."

"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," the prince added.

During several recent public appearances, Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been photographed wearing a nasal cannula, or oxygen breathing tube. When asked if she would be put on a lung transplant list, Crown Prince said that was "up to the doctors."

"It's a medical question. So they’re the ones who decide when it should happen, when it’s right," he noted. "But I think she’s gotten a lot worse lately, unfortunately.”

Haakon and Mette-Marit married in 2001 and share two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20. The Crown Princess is also mother to Marius Borg Høiby, 29, from a previous relationship.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway attend Norwegian Constitution Day celebrations on May 17, 2026
Credit: Per Ole Hagen/Getty

In addition to her health, Crown Princess Mette-Marit is also dealing with other stressors.

On Feb. 3, Høiby pleaded not guilty to four charges of rape and to other charges of filming women without their consent. In total, he is facing 38 charges of alleged sexual abuse and assault brought by multiple women.

Last week, the Norwegian Supreme Court rejected Høiby's request to return home and live with his mother at the royal residence of Skaugum as he awaits sentencing on June 15.

Crown Prince Haakon addressed his stepson’s trial in a statement on Jan. 28, saying, "Our thoughts are with everyone who is affected by this case. It has an impact on the individuals, their families and all those who care about them. We understand that this is a difficult time for many of you, and we sympathize."

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"At the same time, it is reassuring to know that we live in a state governed by the rule of law. I am confident that those responsible for overseeing the proceedings will ensure that the trial is conducted in as orderly, proper, and just a manner as possible.”

Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, attends a royal event on June 16, 2022
Credit: HAKON MOSVOLD LARSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty

On March 19, Crown Princess Mette-Marit gave the first interview in which she addressed her ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She was named in the U.S. Department of Justice's Jan. 30 drop of files relating to the Epstein investigation, leading to speculation about the extent of their relationship.

In a tearful interview with Norwegian outlet NRK, Mette-Marit again denied any wrongdoing in her connection with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. While being named in the files does not equate with wrongdoing, and Mette-Marit has not been accused of any crimes, one of the biggest questions about the Epstein files surrounds her 2013 visit to the financier's home in Palm Beach, Fla.

"It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully. And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was," she told NRK, according to an English translation.

"But it is important for me to clarify that there is no blame on me in this situation. It is all the victims who have been subjected to the gross abuses who deserve justice," she continued, her voice cracking. "And I feel such great anger that they haven't received it. At the same time, it's important for me to say that if I've done something that has contributed to giving him legitimacy in some way, it's terribly difficult for me, of course."

Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway attend the Norwegian Constitution Day with the children's parade at the Royal Castle on May 17, 2025
Credit: Per Ole Hagen/Getty

Crown Prince Haakon's parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, have also recently faced health complications.

On Monday, May 25, the Queen canceled her schedule for the day, including a planned meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after experiencing bouts of heart fibrillation. Queen Sonja previously had a pacemaker installed in January 2025 and was airlifted to the hospital just three months later during a ski vacation due to cardiac distress.

Meanwhile, the King endured a leg operation in 2022, bouts of COVID in 2022 and 2023 and pacemaker surgery in 2024. In February 2026, he was hospitalized for infection and dehydration while on a family vacation in Tenerife.

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Crown Prince Haakon acted as regent while his father was abroad, meaning that he was temporarily acting as Norway's head of state. While Crown Prince Haakon is destined to reign one day, his father has said that he doesn't plan to give up the top job any time soon.

“I stand by what I have said all along. I have taken an oath to the Storting, and it lasts for life,” King Harald said, referencing the pledge he made to the Norwegian Parliament when he acceded to the throne in 1991.

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