Norway's crown princess undergoes successful lung transplant

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has undergone a successful lung transplant and is recovering from the procedure, the royal household said ​in a statement on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old 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.

"Like all newly transplanted patients, the crown princess will remain at the hospital for ​several weeks to come," Oslo University Hospital Professor Are Holm said in a statement provided ​by the palace.

The surgery comes at a strained time for the royal family: earlier ⁠this week, Mette-Marit's 29-year-old son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was convicted of rape ​and domestic violence and sentenced to four years in prison.

Oslo University Hospital on June 5 said Mette-Marit had been ​placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant after a significant deterioration in her health that likely gave her only a year to live without the surgery.

Crown Prince Haakon in December said the family had noticed ‌a ⁠change in Mette-Marit's condition and that she was struggling more to breathe.

-Reuters