Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has cancelled the majority of her official engagements in October due to her chronic lung disease, just one month after her son was charged with rape.
The future Norwegian queen announced in October 2018 that she suffers from a form of pulmonary fibrosis, a lung condition that means she requires ‘more rest’ than those without the illness.
An update published on the official website of the Norwegian royal household on Friday said Mette-Marit, the wife of Crown Prince Haakon, also 52, ‘will not perform official duties in October’ as she is due to ‘undergo a month of lung rehabilitation in Norway’.
However, it did point out that there would be ‘some exceptions’, including a dinner for members of parliament on October 23.
Translated into English, the message read: ‘Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit will undergo a month of lung rehabilitation in Norway starting at the beginning of October.
‘Therefore, the Crown Princess will not perform official duties in October, although some exceptions are planned, such as the dinner for the members of parliament at the Royal Palace on October 23. The Crown Princess is scheduled to resume her official work in November.’
This year has been a particularly difficult year for Mette-Marit, both in terms of her health and her family life.
Mette-Marit’s health condition was first made public in 2018, when she issued a statement explaining that the condition ‘means my working capacity will vary’ to accommodate her treatment, including ‘periods of time without an official programme.’
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (pictured with her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, in 2016 ) has been forced to cancel the majority of her official engagements in October due to her chronic lung condition
‘For a number of years, I have had health challenges on a regular basis, and now we know more about what is involved,’ the mother-of-three said. ‘The condition means that my working capacity will vary.
‘The Crown Prince and I are choosing to make this public now partly because in future there will be a need to plan periods of time without an official programme to accommodate treatment and when the disease is more active.’
Pulmonary fibrosis is incurable and worsens over time, but the Norwegian royal’s doctor, Professor Kristian Bjøro at the National Hospital, said they’d been monitoring her condition for several years and the ‘disease progression has been slow over this period’.
Not much is known about the unusual variant of fibrosis that was detected in Mette-Marit’s lung but, according to the Royal House, ‘there is broad consensus that, unlike other more common types of pulmonary fibrosis, it is not related to environmental or lifestyle factors’.
The fact that the disease was detected at an early stage improves Mette-Marit’s prognosis, as per the Palace’s official statement.
‘Even if such a diagnosis will limit my life at times, I am glad that the disease has been discovered so early. My goal is still to work and participate in the official programme as much as possible,’ the mother-of-three said.
According to the NHS, the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis include shortness of breath, loss of appetite and weight loss, extreme tiredness, a persistent dry cough, and swollen fingertips.
In March, the palace confirmed that the royal’s condition had progressed to such a degree that she was experiencing symptoms on a daily basis, requiring her to take ‘more rest’.
Mette-Marit has been under additional strain since her son Marius (pictured in June 2022) was charged with four counts of rape and 28 other crimes on August 18
There was a fresh blow for Mette-Marit in August, when her son was charged with 32 offences, including four counts of rape against different women.
Høiby, 28, who is the stepson of the future King of Norway, Crown Prince Haakon, has been under investigation since his arrest on August 4 last year on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend.
Last month, the son of Norway’s crown princess was charged with 32 offences, including four rapes and assault, by a Norwegian prosecutor.
According to Norwegian outlet NRK, this includes four rapes of four different women between 2018 and 2024, abuse against his former partner Nora Haukland, and several acts of violence against another former partner.
On all occasions, Hoiby allegedly assaulted the women while they were sleeping and filmed the assaults. The assaults also allegedly occurred after Hoiby and the women had consensual intercourse.
He has also been charged with making death threats, assaulting a public official, and violating the Road Traffic Act.
Presenting the indictment in August, public prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø told NRK that he will face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison following a six-week trial in January.
Henriksbø said: ‘This case is very serious. Rape and violence in close relationships are very serious acts that can leave lasting traces and destroy lives.’
Pictured: Marius Borg Hoiby of Norway and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in Oslo in December, 2017
Hoiby was born as a result of a relationship before Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s marriage to Crown Prince Haakon.
He is said to have ‘strongly denied’ the ‘essentials’ of the allegations against him, which include rape allegations.
It comes shortly after Høiby had his diplomatic passport revoked, according to reports, shortly after he enjoyed a five-day holiday in Portugal with his stepfather and half brother Prince Sverre Magnus, 19.
The specific reasons why he had to surrender the passport are unknown, according to national paper Se og Hør.
At the end of June, Oslo police announced charges against Høiby on multiple counts, including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm after a months-long investigation of a case that involved a ‘double-digit’ number of alleged victims.
State Attorney Sturla Henriksbø has stated that there would be further clarity regarding his charges in August – and this has now come to light.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Se og Hør that Høiby no longer has a diplomatic passport, but didn’t answer specific questions about why.
Høiby is reported to have had both a diplomatic and standard passport since he was young. While members of the Royal House have diplomatic passports, other members of the Royal Family use standard ones after turning 18, under new rules that came into effect around six months ago.
According to Se og Hør, it is not known exactly when Høiby had to surrender the document, and it could have been as recently as six months ago.
At the end of November last year, the 28-year-old was detained by police for a week, while they conducted an investigation into allegations against him – to ensure there was no tampering of evidence.
Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski said Høiby was cooperative during police questioning, which is now complete.
Evidence in the case was drawn from sources including text messages, witness testimonies and police searches, the police attorney said.
