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Crown Princess Mette-Marit Placed on Norway’s Lung‑Transplant Waiting List

A lung transplant is the only treatment likely to extend her life substantially.

Overview

  • The Royal Palace announced on June 6, 2026 that Mette‑Marit has been placed on the official waiting list at Rikshospitalet after a recent deterioration in her chronic pulmonary fibrosis.
  • Palace officials said they will not provide routine health updates until after the transplant and will limit information thereafter to protect patient and donor confidentiality.
  • Treating doctors warned that without a transplant her expected life span is limited and described the planned bilateral lung transplant as a complex, high‑risk operation that requires open‑chest surgery, heart–lung support and lengthy rehabilitation.
  • Medical teams stressed that organ allocation follows strict clinical criteria—blood type, organ size, urgency and predicted outcome—and that the princess will not receive preferential treatment.
  • Donor lungs are scarce in Norway: the national program performed about 30 lung transplants last year and eight people are currently listed, making the timing of any operation dependent on a suitable match and regional organ exchanges.