Norway’s royal family is facing a heartbreaking new health crisis as Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s husband reveals her condition has taken a serious turn.
Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, gave a somber update on his 52-year-old wife during a public outing on May 26. The prince admitted he is deeply worried after Mette-Marit’s health appeared to worsen in recent months.
“The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately,” Haakon told reporters, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “So I am worried about her health.”
The emotional update comes as the future queen continues to battle chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a serious lung disease she was diagnosed with in 2018.
Mette-Marit has recently been seen at royal events wearing a nasal cannula, an oxygen tube used to help with breathing. The sight has sparked concern among royal watchers, especially as the princess continues trying to carry out public duties while dealing with a difficult illness.
Haakon, 52, said the last six months have been manageable, but he made it clear the family is taking things day by day.
“These six months have gone pretty well, I think,” he said. “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 lung transplant list, Haakon did not give a firm answer. Instead, he said that decision belongs to doctors.
“It’s a medical question,” he said. “So they’re the ones who decide when it should happen, when it’s right.”
Then came the line that stunned many royal observers.
“But I think she’s gotten a lot worse lately, unfortunately,” he said.
Mette-Marit and Haakon married in 2001 and have two children together, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20. The crown princess is also the mother of Marius Borg Høiby, 29, from a previous relationship.
But her health battle is not the only storm surrounding the family.
Mette-Marit has also been dealing with the legal troubles of her son, Marius, who is facing a mountain of serious criminal charges. On Feb. 3, he pleaded not guilty to four rape charges, as well as other allegations involving filming women without their consent.
In total, he is facing 38 charges tied to alleged sexual abuse and assault involving multiple women.
Last week, Norway’s Supreme Court rejected Marius’ request to return home and live with his mother at the royal residence of Skaugum while he awaits sentencing on June 15.
Haakon previously addressed the shocking case in a statement on Jan. 28, saying the family’s thoughts were with everyone affected.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who is affected by this case,” he said. “It has an impact on the individuals, their families and all those who care about them.”
He added that the family understood it was “a difficult time for many” and said it was reassuring that Norway is governed by the rule of law.
The royal family was also dragged back into another uncomfortable spotlight earlier this year when Mette-Marit addressed her past connection to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In March, the crown princess gave a tearful interview to NRK after being named in U.S. Department of Justice files connected to the Epstein investigation. Being named in the documents does not mean wrongdoing, and Mette-Marit has not been accused of any crimes.
Still, questions resurfaced about her 2013 visit to Epstein’s home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Mette-Marit denied wrongdoing and said it was important for her to take responsibility for not checking Epstein’s background more carefully.
“It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully,” she said. “And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was.”
She also said the focus should remain on Epstein’s victims.
“It is all the victims who have been subjected to the gross abuses who deserve justice,” she said, her voice breaking during the interview.
The heartbreaking update about Mette-Marit comes as Norway’s senior royals have faced a string of health scares of their own.
Queen Sonja canceled her schedule on May 25 after experiencing heart fibrillation. She had a pacemaker installed in January 2025 and was later airlifted to a hospital during a ski trip after suffering cardiac distress.
King Harald has also dealt with several medical issues in recent years, including a leg operation in 2022, bouts of COVID in 2022 and 2023, pacemaker surgery in 2024, and hospitalization in February 2026 for infection and dehydration while on vacation in Tenerife.
Haakon has already stepped in as regent when his father has been abroad or unable to carry out duties, temporarily acting as Norway’s head of state.
But King Harald has made it clear he has no plans to step aside.
“I stand by what I have said all along,” the king said. “I have taken an oath to the Storting, and it lasts for life.”
Now, as the royal family faces illness, scandal, and mounting public concern, all eyes are on Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the husband who admitted what many feared.
Her health has taken a turn — and Norway’s future king is worried.
