Queen Sonja leaves hospital as Norway’s royal family faces string of health crises

Norway’s royal family is facing an increasingly difficult period as a string of health crises continues to affect several of its senior members, placing mounting pressure on the monarchy behind palace walls.

While Queen Sonja has now returned home from the hospital, public attention has quickly shifted toward the worsening condition of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose ongoing battle with chronic pulmonary fibrosis has reportedly intensified in recent months.

The 52-year-old Crown Princess has recently been seen using a nasal oxygen device, and doctors are said to be preparing for the possibility of a lung transplant evaluation.

Her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, has quietly taken on an even greater share of royal responsibilities while supporting both his wife and his aging parents through a particularly fragile chapter for the Norwegian royal household.

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Queen Sonja, 88, was admitted to Rikshospitalet in Oslo after suffering heart failure and atrial fibrillation. The Norwegian Royal House initially placed the Queen on sick leave before confirming that her condition had stabilized following adjustments to her medication.

King Harald V later reassured the public that the Queen was “already feeling much better” after being discharged from the hospital on May 28, 2026. According to the palace, she will remain on medical leave for the remainder of the week as she continues recovering at home.

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The recent hospitalization came only months after Queen Sonja underwent pacemaker surgery in January 2025 following a cardiac fibrillation episode during a ski vacation.

Her latest health setback also forced her to cancel several official engagements, including a scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a planned tour of Vestland County.

© DPPA/Sipa USA

The concerns surrounding the Queen arrive amid broader health struggles within the royal family.

King Harald V, now 89, has faced a series of medical issues of his own in recent years. In 2024, the monarch underwent pacemaker surgery, and in February 2026 he was briefly hospitalized again due to an infection and dehydration.

© Anne-Marie Forker

Despite those challenges, the King has continued carrying out essential state duties, at times appearing alone while Queen Sonja recuperates.

Elsewhere in the family, Princess Astrid, the King’s 94-year-old sister, was also recently admitted to the National Hospital for heart trouble and later received a pacemaker.

© Per Ole Hagen

With multiple senior royals managing serious medical conditions simultaneously, the Norwegian monarchy is navigating one of its most demanding periods in recent memory.

Palace schedules are being carefully adjusted, and Crown Prince Haakon increasingly finds himself at the center of the institution’s day-to-day public role as concerns continue to grow over the health of both generations of the royal family.