Norwegian crown princess signed off sick with lung disease

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on a two-week leave of absence from royal duties as a result of her rare chronic lung condition, the palace said on Monday, March 24.

The 51-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon announced in October 2018 that she had been diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable disease that causes scarring of the lungs and shortness of breath. 

Her latest period of sick leave will notably force her to cancel her visit to the Leipzig Book Fair in Germany.

On March 6, the palace said that Mette-Marit's condition had worsened, indicating that it may force her to reduce her official duties.

The crown princess has previously been signed off sick for several weeks in September 2023 and October 2024, when she also cancelled her public engagements.

"When you get to be 50, you understand that life is not eternal," she told Norwegian daily DN in an interview published in August 2023 ahead of her 50th birthday.