Norway’s Royal Palace announced on Wednesday that Crown Princess Mette-Marit has already undergone what her doctors call a “successful” lung transplant at the national hospital in Oslo, Rikshospitalet. She’d been put on the waiting list less than two weeks ago, but her waiting time was relatively short and her prospects are good.
Both the palace and hospital officials have indicated that the crown princess didn’t receive any special treatment, rather that the waiting list for Norwegians needing new lungs was short. She was officially placed on the waiting list on June 5.
“We are delighted that everything has progressed well so far,” stated Dr Are Holm, a professor of medicine at the University of Oslo and senior consultant and respiratory specialist at Rikshospitalet. “In accordance with standard practice for all recent transplant recipients,” Holm added, she’ll remain at the hospital “for several weeks to come” as her recovery period proceeds.
He described the extended hospital stay as a “routine procedure to adjust medication, manage any potential complications and undertake rehabilitation.”
Neither the palace nor the hospital would initially specify when exactly the crown princess was called in for the transplant after they’d acquired suitable lungs for her. News of her operation comes just two days after her 29-year-old son from an earlier relationship before she met Crown Prince Haakon was sentenced Monday to four years in prison on multiple criminal counts.
The entire Norwegian royal family has been hit by various scandals, health challenges and Mette-Marit’s own involvement with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It’s all put tremendous pressure on Crown Prince Haakon, the 52-year-old heir to the throne, who will now “adjust his official program in order to support the Crown Princess during this period,” according to a press release Wednesday from the palace. His wife hadn’t been seen in public since Norway’s national day on the 17th of May and he’d already cancelled events this week.
The crown prince is now expected to get help from their daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who’s second in line to the throne and recently returned to Norway from university studies in Australia because of her mother’s illness. Her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, is also expected to step in as needed.
Palace officials, who’ve been criticized for refusing to comment on myriad aspects of the scandals and challenges facing the Royal Family, still aren’t offering much more information. They also stated in the press release issued Wednesday that “the next update regarding Her Royal Highness’ health will be issued upon her discharge” from the hospital.
They did, however, note that the crown couple both “express their sincere gratitude for the many warm and kind messages they have received. This means a great deal to them at this challenging time.” Palace officials, meanwhile, have refused to comment on the prison term and appeal involving the crown princess’ son Marius Borg Høiby and on commentators’ calls for more openness regarding the crown princess’ three-year relationship with Epstein.
Calls were also going out among Members of Parliament for Princess Ingrid Alexandra to be granted more official powers in her father’s and grandfather’s absence. The parliament wants the 22-year-old princess to, for example, be able to lead the weekly Council of State between the government and the monarch, at which various legal matters are resolved.
Crown Prince Haakon had abruptly cancelled his official program both on Tuesday and Wednesday with no explanation from the palace or announcement of his wife’s transplant operation at the time. His program remained intact from Thursday June 18, which included weekly audiences with the foreign minister, the chief of Norway’s home guard and the Council of State on Friday.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
