NEED TO KNOW
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Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway will soon return home from Australia, where she was studying, to be with her mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
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Crown Prince Haakon also cut short his official visit to Japan to return home due to Mette-Marit's ill health.
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Last week, the crown prince announced that his wife, who was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, was "seriously ill.".
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway will soon return home from Australia, where she was studying, amid the deteriorating health of her mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, 52-year-old Crown Prince Haakon announced the birth of his daughter during a press conference in Japan, where he was on an official visit this week.
The English translation of the NRK report states that 22-year-old Ingrid Alexandra "plans to return home soon. This is due to a family situation. She wants to be with her mother.".
The princess is expected to eventually return to Australia, where she is currently pursuing a three-year bachelor's degree in International Relations and Political Economy at the University of Sydney. However, the Crown Prince stated that it is currently unknown how long she will remain home.
On May 29, the Norwegian Palace announced that the Crown Prince's trip to Japan would be shortened by one day also due to Crown Princess Mette-Marit's "health condition.".
Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Crown Prince Haakon, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attend a gala dinner in honor of the French President and his wife at the Royal Palace in Oslo on June 23, 2025. Photo: STIAN LYSBERG SOLUM/NTB/POOL/AFP via Getty
Following Norway's royal announcement in March that Crown Princess Mette-Marit's health had worsened, Crown Prince Haakon last week provided an update on the health of 52-year-old Mette-Marit, who was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018.
«"The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I believe her condition has worsened somewhat recently," he said, according to NRK. "Therefore, I am concerned about her health.".
«"I think these six months have gone quite well. But there are different stages. So we just need to try to resolve the issue as best we can," the prince added.
During several recent public appearances, Crown Princess Mette-Marit was photographed using a nasal cannula, or oxygen tube, for breathing. When asked whether she would be placed on the lung transplant waiting list, Crown Prince Haakon said that was a question for her doctors.
«"It's a medical matter. So they're the ones who decide when it should happen, when it's right," he noted. "But unfortunately, I think her condition has worsened significantly recently.".
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attends the Norwegian Constitution Day celebrations with a children's parade at her residence, Skaugum, on May 17, 2026, in Oslo, Norway. Photo: Per Ole Hagen/Getty
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is not the only member of the Norwegian royal family to have recently faced serious health problems.
Last week, on May 27, Crown Prince Haakon's mother, 88-year-old Queen Sonja, was hospitalized with "atrial fibrillation and heart failure." The palace announced that the Queen would be on sick leave for a week and needed "rest and an adjustment to her medication dosage." Previously, in January 2025, the Queen had been fitted with a pacemaker.
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The Queen's husband, 89-year-old King Harald, has also faced numerous health issues in recent years. In 2022, he underwent leg surgery, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2022 and 2023, and received a pacemaker in 2024. Most recently, in February 2026, the King was hospitalized due to an infection and dehydration during a family vacation in Tenerife.
Read the original article on People.