Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit Undergoes Successful Lung Transplant

Are Holm, a lung specialist at the hospital, stated in a palace announcement, "We are delighted that everything has progressed well so far."

He further mentioned that Mette-Marit would remain in the hospital for "several weeks to come" for observation, which is standard practice for all recent transplant recipients.

The transplant occurred two days after Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of two counts of rape. Although he pleaded guilty to some lesser offenses, he denied the most serious charges against him, and his lawyers indicated he would appeal the sentence.

Høiby, 29, was four years old when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon and is not a royal figure himself. Before the verdict on Monday, his legal team repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought his release from prison so he could spend time with his mother due to her declining health.

Historian and royal commentator Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen remarked that the transplant "is very happy news for the Norwegian royal family and the Kingdom of Norway."

"This was one of the most serious obstacles on the road for a better health for the Crown Princess, and I think many people are relieved the transplant was successful."

As her illness worsened, she began to scale back her commitments. Earlier this year, lung specialist Holm stated that her deterioration had been significant and "dangerous."

Mette-Marit was last seen in public on May 17. At that time, she required a nasal tube connected to an oxygen device.

The palace subsequently announced that she had been placed on the transplant list 12 days prior. Her doctors emphasized that the general rule for anyone placed on the list is that the patient is believed to have only a year to live.

He also stressed that the recovery period following the transplant would be extremely delicate, with transplant recipients needing to be on immunosuppressive medications for life.

He noted that one in eight people who receive a donor lung do not survive the first year, while approximately half are alive after ten years.

The lung transplant is the most recent challenge in what has been a difficult year for the Norwegian royals. In January, documents were released revealing Mette-Marit's frequent contact with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She later apologized to Norway's king and queen for her three-year friendship with Epstein, admitting to "poor judgment" and stating in a national TV interview that she wished she had never met him.