The future queen of Norway’s health has become progressively worse in recent months, and on Friday, June 5, the Royal House of Norway announced Crown Princess Mette-Marit has officially been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Her daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, will be leaving the University of Sydney and studying closer to home as her mother fights pulmonary fibrosis, but Mette-Marit’s oldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, is currently in prison as he awaits the verdict of his high-profile rape case.
Høiby, 29, was born to Crown Princess Mette-Marit before she met her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, and he does not hold a royal title or carry out any official duties. When speaking to a judge about his mother on June 8, he stated, “Every Sunday when we meet in prison, I know that it could be the last time I see her,” per Nine.com.
Although Høiby was granted compassionate leave given the circumstances by the Oslo District Court, prosecutors appealed the decision. On Wednesday, it was concluded that Høiby must remain in prison due to his risk of reoffending, citing “a question of ability, life patterns and risk factors.”
“We are very, very disappointed and find the decision almost incomprehensible,” defense attorney Ellen Holager Andenæs told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
In 2024, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son was arrested three times in the course of a few months, and he is now facing 40 charges, including sexual assault, criminal damage, bodily harm, drug trafficking and violating a restraining order.
According to NRK, it’s unknown when a lung that’s a match for the crown princess will be available. In a press conference, Are Holm, senior consultant in the pulmonary department at Rikshospitalet, said Mette-Marit’s lung function tests have “dropped significantly in just the last three months,” calling the situation “dangerous.”
On May 26, Crown Prince Haakon told the press that his wife's condition was declining. “The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately,” he shared, adding, “So I am worried about her health.”
