A Tough Year for Norway: The Royal Family’s Scandals and Tragedies

It has been known since 2018 that Crown Princess Mette-Marit suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive scarring of the lung tissue. The disease has repeatedly forced her to cancel public engagements or adjust her schedule. Despite the diagnosis, she remained active in her role for years. The year 2026 was set to become the greatest test yet for the Norwegian royal family.

Mette-Marit underwent a lung transplant in the spring of 2026 that had been in the works for some time. The procedure was deemed necessary after her condition had worsened in the preceding years. The Norwegian royal family confirmed the surgery and asked for patience during her recovery. For the then-Crown Princess, this step offered a chance for a better quality of life.

After the transplant, Mette-Marit experienced health complications that required a prolonged hospital stay. The exact nature of her health issues was not disclosed in detail by the royal household. This significantly delayed her recovery, placing additional strain on the royal family’s already tense situation. The Crown Princess’s public appearances were kept to a minimum during this period.

During 2026, it came to light that Mette-Marit’s name was mentioned in documents released in connection with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. There is no confirmed information yet regarding the exact nature of the mention, and she has not been accused of any criminal involvement. The Royal Court responded cautiously to the reports. For the Crown Princess, who was in poor health, the controversy placed an additional public strain on her.

Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, faced several criminal charges in 2024. The Norwegian police investigated several cases, including one involving suspicion of assault. Since Høiby does not hold a royal title, he was formally excluded from the line of succession; nevertheless, media attention focused on the entire family. The proceedings dragged on for months.

In 2026 Marius Borg Høiby was sentenced to prison for assault and rape in one of the cases brought against him. The verdict marked the provisional conclusion of a protracted legal process that had deeply preoccupied the Norwegian public. Marius appealed the verdict. Mette-Marit made few public comments on the case but, through spokespeople, expressed her sympathy for those affected. For the royal family, the conviction was yet another severe blow in what had already been a difficult year.

King Harald V, Norway’s head of state since 1991, died in August 2026 at an advanced age. In the years leading up to his death, he had struggled with several health setbacks, including heart surgeries and infections. His reign was marked by a modernization of the monarchy that brought it closer to the people and a deliberate effort to engage with the public. His death marked the end of an era that had profoundly shaped Norway’s relationship with its royal family.

After more than five decades at Harald V’s side, Queen Sonja bid farewell to her husband. At the funeral service in Oslo, numerous European royal families gathered to pay their last respects to the late monarch. Thousands of people lined the streets to bid farewell to the royal couple, who had been married since 1968. The mourning for King Harald V united the country in a moment of national solidarity.

Upon his father’s death in 2026, Crown Prince Haakon was proclaimed the new king in accordance with the Norwegian line of succession. He had been preparing for this role for decades and had already taken over many of his father’s ceremonial duties. The ceremony at the Storting took place in an atmosphere that balanced mourning with an awareness of the continuity of the state. For Norway, King Haakon marked the beginning of a new phase in the country’s long history of monarchy.

When her husband ascended the throne in 2026, Mette-Marit officially became Queen of Norway, in the midst of a period marked by health and family challenges. In addition to her own recovery from a lung transplant, she had to cope with the loss of her father-in-law and her son’s conviction. Observers described her demeanor during this time as remarkably composed. The royal couple announced that they would tackle the duties of the crown together, while taking their family challenges into consideration.