Princess appears with breathing assistance for first time since health update

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit appeared alongside Crown Prince Haakon at a reception on Friday at the Royal Palace in Oslo to honour the country's athletes who competed at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milano Cortina.

Photos and video from the event showed the Crown Princess using supplemental oxygen delivered via a nasal cannula, with an aide carrying the portable oxygen apparatus behind her. 

It was the first time she has been seen wearing the breathing assistance device during an official engagement.

In February, Crown Princess Mette-Marit apologised for her friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"I also apologise for the situation that I have put the royal family in, especially the King and Queen," Mette-Marit said in a statement released by the royal palace.

New files related to Epstein published by the U.S. Justice Department included extensive email correspondence between Mette-Marit and Epstein after he was found guilty of child sex crimes in 2008.

In December 2025, the royal family said Mette-Marit is expected to undergo a lung transplant following a deterioration of her health.

The wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a chronic disease that causes scarring in the lungs and leads to a reduced oxygen uptake.