Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway Speaks Out After Clearing Royal Schedule amid Health Battle

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• Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway opened up about why she’s scaling back her schedule to focus on her health

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• The Royal House of Norway announced on Sept. 19 that Mette-Marit, 52, will reduce her duties in October to undergo pulmonary rehabilitation

• Crown Prince Haakon’s wife has chronic pulmonary fibrosis and the court said in January that her lung condition had “progressed”

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is speaking out about why now is the right time to temporarily reduce her royal duties to focus on her health.

On Sept. 19, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, opened up about her decision to clear her calendar of official commitments for the month of October.

The Norwegian royal has chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung condition. Earlier on Friday, the Royal House of Norway announced that she will reduce her royal duties next month as she undergoes pulmonary rehabilitation.

Speaking to the press at the Norwegian Folk Museum, Crown Princess Mette-Marit said, “I should have done it a long time ago, but now is the time. So I’m going to do it. Because I need a little more help than before to cope with daily life with pulmonary fibrosis,” Hola! magazine reported, per a translation.

She added about what’s next, “I think it’s about meeting other people who suffer from the same lung disease as me. And having better control over how I’ll cope with my daily life with this chronic illness.”

Mette-Marit reflected after the Royal House of Norway announced that she’ll scale back her schedule next month to receive the rehabilitation.

“Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit will undergo a month of pulmonary rehabilitation in Norway from the beginning of October,” the court said in a statement on Sept. 19.

“The Crown Princess will therefore not carry out official assignments in October, but some exceptions are planned, such as the dinner for the representatives of the Storting at the Royal Palace on October 23,” it continued. “The Crown Princess is scheduled to resume her official work in November.”

Crown Princess Mette-Marit is married to Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the throne, and is a full-time working royal.

In October 2018, the Royal House of Norway shared that Mette-Marit was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, chronic pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes scarred, making it more difficult for the lungs to work properly.

The condition can worsen over time, and its cause can be difficult to pinpoint.

In March, the Royal House of Norway announced that the crown princess’s pulmonary fibrosis had “progressed” and said it might affect her future schedule.

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“Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s chronic disease pulmonary fibrosis has progressed,” said the statement released on March 6.

“The Crown Princess has daily symptoms and ailments that affect her ability to perform her duties. The Crown Princess needs more rest, and her daily routine changes more quickly than before,” it continued. “This means that changes to her official schedule may occur more frequently, and at shorter notice than we are used to.”

The Royal House underscored Princess Mette-Marit was committed to continue working and said that her agenda would be adjusted to accommodate.

“The Crown Princess has a strong desire to continue working, and therefore we will organize her official program in the future in the best possible way so that her health and work can be combined,” the court concluded. 

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