Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit Has Been Battling an Illness for Years

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway hasn't been seen out and about quite all that much ever since her health took a downward turn. Sadly, she's battling a serious illness, which has made it difficult for her to perform routine royal duties.

That said, Mette-Marit did participate in the 2026 National Day of Norway celebrations, which took place on May 17.

See how she showed up for the holiday, and what the people had to say about the royal's rare public appearance.

In 2018, Mette-Marit was diagnosed with an advanced case of chronic pulmonary fibrosis. Per Mayo Clinic, "Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. This thickened, stiff tissue makes it harder for the lungs to work properly. Pulmonary fibrosis worsens over time. Some people can stay stable for a long time, but the condition gets worse faster in others. As it gets worse, people become more and more short of breath."

Mette-Marit is being treated at Oslo University Hospital, and her medical team is preparing for a potential lung transplant.

Admirably, the royal has stated that if she does need the medical procedure, she will be placed on a waiting list like everyone else and not use her status to cut the line. In the meantime, Mette-Maris continues to raise awareness for the condition.

As mentioned, the princess was able to attend the National Day of Norway celebrations, giving the public a glimpse into how she's doing. Mette-Marit looked well, albeit with an oxygen tube in her nose, and was able to stand throughout most of the festivities. Although she did have a chair behind her in the event that she began to feel weak.

An Instagram clip contains video of the princess waving to the public, posing for photos, enjoying music, and watching a parade.

In the now-viral clip of the royal enjoying that holiday, the comments section is flooded with support. One person wrote, "Always so beautiful, Mette-Marit!"

Another shared, "Mette-Marit, you are my hero!" A third person advised, "Please don’t push yourself too hard, and take good care of yourself so you don’t catch any infections. I truly hope you can stay as comfortable as possible."

However, not everyone rallied behind the royal. Allegedly, Mette-Marit has connections to Jeffrey Epstein, sparking conspiracy theories that she isn't even sick at all.

Rather — as the theory goes — the princess is faking the ailment in order to gain sympathy and distract from the allegations against her.

That same clip that included so many comments of support also contained claims that the whole thing is a PR stunt. One Instagram comment included, "Nah, trying to gain sympathy from the public because she got caught!" Another person seemed to believe Mette-Marit really is ill, but called it "Epstein Karma."

Meanwhile, a third person shared, "After she was caught in the Epstein files, suddenly she got sick."