Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit Added to Urgent Lung Transplant List

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, has been placed on an urgent lung transplant list, the Royal House announced Friday. The princess has been living with pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive disease that damages and scars lung tissue, since her diagnosis in 2018. The condition can lead to severe respiratory problems and currently has no cure.

Due to a significant deterioration in her health over the past six months, Mette-Marit will temporarily step down from her official duties. The Royal House stated that further medical updates will only be provided after the lung transplant has taken place. Following the procedure, she will undergo an extended period of rehabilitation and training.

Are Holm, a lung specialist at Oslo University Hospital, explained to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that the princess's condition has worsened considerably, with increased scarring observed in recent imaging. "The general rule for deciding who should be included on the list for a lung transplant is that the patient must be so ill that we have reason to believe they have only one year left to live," Holm added.

Holm clarified that while the hospital follows strict protocols for prioritizing patients, the exact timing of the transplant remains unpredictable and depends on the availability of a suitable organ. He noted that waiting times are currently short, and the protocol is being strictly adhered to in this case. This news comes after Princess Mette-Marit issued an apology in February regarding scrutiny over her past contacts with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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The general rule for deciding who should be included on the list for a lung transplant is that the patient must be so ill that we have reason to believe they have only one year left to live.