NordenBladet – Crown Prince Haakon has spoken out for the first time since it was announced that his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit is suffering from chronic pulmonary fibrosis. The Norwegian Crown Prince said that the couple has received a lot of support from the people and that it will help them in the future.
On Thursday, Crown Prince Haakon stepped out for the first time since the announcement of Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s disease, to visit a school and meet with the police at Søndre Nordstrand, Oslo. The Crown Prince was warmly welcomed with applause as he visited the school and learned more about the local community. Crown Princess Mette-Marit was also scheduled to attend, but her presence was cancelled the day before right after the announcement.
The day before, the Norwegian Royal Court announced that Crown Princess Mette-Marit had been diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis, “a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. This thickened, stiff tissue makes it more difficult for your lungs to work properly. As pulmonary fibrosis worsens, you become progressively more short of breath,” according to the Mayo Clinic. This disease will eventually limit the life of the Crown Princess. The illness has, however, been discovered in its early stages, and therefore, the Royal Court is “optimistic” about the prognosis.
During the visit on Thursday, Crown Prince Haakon made some remarks on his wife’s disease as he met up with the press after his visit. His Royal Highness said: “I find that there is a lot of support out there. It is very nice and good to take with us on the way forward. We have known about this for quite some time, so this is a situation that continues, as we have lived with it for some years already, but now we finally know a little more about the cause.
“I think it was right to tell about this at the current time, as the Crown Princess’ programme needs to be adjusted here and there once in a while, but I think we can manage.”
In the evening, the Crown Princess did join the others of the Norwegian Royal Family at a parliamentary dinner at the Royal Palace of Oslo.