Queen Mette-Marit has been to cancel a major appearance at a high-profile event amid her ongoing health recovery.
The Queen was due to join King Haakon VIII at the opening of Norway’s Storting, the country’s parliament, on Friday, October 2.
However, shortly before the ceremony, the Norwegian Royal Family confirmed that Mette-Marit would not be able to attend the event due to some health complications.
What happened to the Queen
Pulmonologist Dr Are Holm of Norway's National Hospital confirmed, "The Queen is taking part in scheduled training, and we are satisfied with her progress. The Queen is still in a rehabilitation period that will last approximately one year following the operation."
"It is not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant," he explained, adding, “The Queen has had complications on some occasions since the operation, including today."
At the Parliament Opening, King Haakon VIII, who delivered his first speech after becoming Norway’s monarch, was joined by his daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
Queen Mette-Marit’s health struggles
Since 2018, Queen Mette-Marit has been fighting bravely against a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis, a rare condition where your lungs become scarred, making it harder to breathe.
As her health significantly deteriorated over the years, the Queen had no option but to undergo a lung transplant procedure as her condition had become “life-threatening.”
On June 5, 2026, Mette-Marit was placed on the lung transplant waiting list, which according to Professor Holm is reserved for patients with just "one year left to live.”
She then underwent a successful lung transplant procedure at Rikshospitalet in Oslo on June 17.
"We are delighted that everything has progressed well so far," Are Holm, lung specialist at the hospital, said in the palace statement, adding that the Queen would remain in hospital for "several weeks to come" under observation.
The Queen is currently in recovery.
