Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, 52, recently shared that she has entered a month-long program of pulmonary rehabilitation. Her bold journey commenced in early October. In 2018, she was diagnosed with the chronic lung disease pulmonary fibrosis. As such, she has been forced to cut back on her public appearances.
Her resolve to put her health first became apparent when she admitted as much herself in recent remarks. She expressed, “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.” This powerful recognition underscores the difficulties she has in navigating her disease.
Doing very poorly right now with recent health issues, she won’t be attending any official functions for the month of October. The only exception is a welcome dinner at the Royal Palace for officials from the Storting, on the evening of October 23. Sadly, Mette-Marit was eventually forced to cancel her trip to the United States. This trip was intended to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first Norwegian emigration to America, the so-called Norway to Minnesota trail. She regrets to miss welcoming the ship “Restauration” in New York on October 9. This ship acts as a living replica of the original ship that carried Norwegian emigrants from Norway to America in 1825.
Crown Prince Haakon has responded to his wife’s absence on his present visit to the US. Adding perspective on the idea of taking joint trips, Working Group member Christopher Koome expressed that “It’s always better to travel together.” He conveyed support for Mette-Marit’s rehabilitation, saying, “I think it’s great to be able to be here anyway, and I think it’s good that she gets to be in the pulmonary rehabilitation she’s in now.”
After a rehabilitation period Crown Princess Mette-Marit should be back to official duties in November. Her commitment to prioritizing her health demonstrates both resilience and responsibility as she navigates her royal obligations while managing a chronic condition.
