Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit faces potential lung transplant
by Danielle Haynes · UPIDec. 19 (UPI) -- Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit's lung condition has worsened, and her doctors are considering a lung transplant, the royal palace announced Friday.
The 52-year-old was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a rare, chronic disease that causes lung tissue to become damaged and scarred. This scarring causes difficulty for the lungs to carry oxygen to the bloodstream.
Symptoms of the condition include shortness of breath, dry cough, fatigue, weight loss and loss of appetite, muscle or joint pain, and rounded or swollen fingertips.
"During the autumn, a number of tests have been carried out that show a clear worsening of the crown princess' health," a statement from the palace said.
"The physicians at Rikshospitalet University Hospital have therefore started the process towards an evaluation for potential lung transplant surgery."
At the time of her diagnosis, Mette-Marit predicted the condition would restrict her ability to perform royal duties.
"Although such a diagnosis will limit my life at times, I'm glad that the disease has been discovered so early," she said in 2018. "My goal is still to work and participate in the official program as much as possible.
Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon, son of King Harald V and heir to the throne, in 2001. The couple share two children -- Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, and Mette-Marit has a 28-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby, from a previous relationship.
Høiby faces trial early next year on 32 charges, including four counts of rape.
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