Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit appears in first photo after lung transplant, celebrating World Cup win over Brazil
The Norwegian royal house shared the first image of Crown Princess Mette-Marit since her lung transplant, showing her at the palace with Prince Haakon as Norway beat Brazil 2-1 in the World Cup round of 16.
The first public image
On the morning of 6 July, the Norwegian royal family's Instagram account posted a carousel of five photographs capturing the family's celebration of Norway's 2-1 victory over Brazil the night before. Among them was the first publicly released image of Crown Princess Mette-Marit since her lung transplant in mid-June. The 52-year-old appears seated on a sofa next to her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, both wearing Norwegian scarves and smiling. A second photo shows the couple at a palace window.
Yesterday was a historic night! The whole family followed it with great excitement.
The transplant and recovery
Mette-Marit was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. On 5 June 2026 the palace announced the disease had worsened and she had been placed on the transplant list. The operation took place on 17 June at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet and was described as successful. The princess remained hospitalised for several weeks. While no official discharge has been confirmed, the new photos show her at the Skaugum residence without the respirator she previously needed, suggesting a favourable recovery.
- Diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis
- Palace announces worsening condition and placement on transplant list
- Undergoes successful lung transplant at Rikshospitalet in Oslo
- First public photo released, showing recovery at Skaugum
A family scattered across continents
The Instagram post showed King Harald and Queen Sonia waving flags from their summer residence on the island of Mågerø. Princess Ingrid Alexandra (22) and Prince Sverre Magnus (20) attended the match in person at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where they posed with Brazilian football legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazário. The caption thanked the national team, coaching staff and all of Norway for the achievement.
Controversy over transplant wait time
The speed of the transplant drew scrutiny in Norway. Mette-Marit was added to the waiting list on 5 June and received new lungs just 12 days later, while typical waiting times for such patients range from five to twelve months. Pulmonologist Olav Kare Refvem told VG that such rapid matches depend entirely on organ availability and tissue compatibility. Aleksander Swkowski of the Organ Donation Foundation added that finding suitable lungs quickly was a positive outcome.
Sometimes it happens quickly. It depends completely on which organs are available and their compatibility with the recipient's tissue type.
A challenging period for the monarchy
The princess's health crisis comes as the Norwegian royal family faces other pressures. Her son Marius Borg, 29, was recently sentenced to four years in prison by the Oslo District Court after being convicted of violence and rape against multiple women. The combination of the health scare and the legal case has placed the monarchy under intense public and media scrutiny.
