Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, will spend Christmas with her family at a private cabin that belongs to the royal family, the Norwegian court said on Tuesday.
The announcement came a few days after news emerged that the 52-year-old crown princess is due to prepare to get a lung transplant.
While King Harald V and Queen Sonja (both 88) will spend Christmas as usual at their winter residence in Oslo, Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon, 52, will retreat to their cabin in Uvdal for the holidays, together with their children Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Sverre Magnus, 20.
The holiday home, built of solid wood, is located about 200 kilometres north-east of the Norwegian capital and, according to media reports, measures 150 square metres.
On Friday, the court announced that the Crown Princess needs a new lung due to her deteriorating condition. “I had always hoped that we could keep the disease under control with medication,” Mette-Marit said in an interview with the television station NRK.
However, surgery is now the next necessary step in the treatment of her pulmonary fibrosis. It is not yet clear when she will be placed on the waiting list for a transplant.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic lung disease in which scar tissue forms in the lung, which can lead to shortness of breath. As a result, the Crown Princess has had to repeatedly cancel official engagements.
In addition to Mette-Marit’s health problems, she faced major family challenges last year due to the ongoing scandal surrounding her eldest son.
Marius Borg Høiby, 28, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, has been charged with a number of offences that include rape and assault. He will stand trial in February.