Crown Princess Mette-Marit wears oxygen tube weeks after health update

The Crown Princess of Norway is continuing her return to the public eye after addressing her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, stepping out with an oxygen machine amid her health battle.

Mette-Marit, 52, attended a reception at the Royal Palace in Oslo alongside her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, where the family honoured Norwegian athletes who competed at the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

The royal couple were joined by their children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20.

Mette-Marit wore a nasal cannula, a device that delivers oxygen, for the first time during an official engagement. An aide was seen following behind her, carrying what appeared to be a portable oxygen machine.

The appearance comes just weeks after the royal spoke publicly about her past connection with Epstein during a sit-down interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK in March.

While speaking with the outlet, the royal said she regretted not ending the friendship sooner and described herself as having been "manipulated and deceived".

Her return to royal duties also follows an update on her health.

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Mette-Marit was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, an incurable condition that causes scarring of the lungs and makes breathing progressively more difficult.

In December, the Royal House of Norway said the Princess' medical team had begun preparations for a lung transplant following a "clear worsening of the Crown Princess' health".

Her latest outing marks one of her most visible appearances this year. A palace spokesperson also told NRK in mid-March that her health had "deteriorated."

It comes during a challenging personal time for the royal and her family.

Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, is currently facing a high-profile court case in Norway.

"We are a family that has been in a very demanding situation in recent weeks," she told NRK.

"In addition, I have health that requires a lot of rest, and it has developed even more."

Høiby is on trial for rape and assault and the case has dominated headlines since it began on February 3.

The Crown Princess' past relationship with Epstein has been another issue hanging over the royal family of late after her name was mentioned more than 100 times in the recently released Epstein files.

In February, Mette-Marit issued two statements apologising for her past association with the convicted sex offender, admitting to showing "poor judgement". The situation, she said, was "simply embarrassing".

A recent opinion poll found that 68 per cent of Norwegians did not believe their Crown Princess gave sufficient answers to the questions about Epstein.

In the controversial interview with NRK, Mette-Marit spoke about her emails with Epstein and her stay at his Florida mansion.

"Of course, I wish I had never met him," she said.

"It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully. And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was."

One email, sent from the Crown Princess' official account, on October 23, 2011, implies she had become aware of his initial jail term in 2008.

"Googled u after last email," she wrote. "Agree didn't look too good."

She was asked what she had Googled and what she had found out.

"I spent a lot of time trying to figure that out myself," Mette-Marit said.

"I wish I had the rest of that email correspondence. I don't know what I found, and I don't know if it was information he had asked me to Google.

"I wish I had remembered what it was; it would probably have made my life a little easier now.

"But if I had found information that made me realise that he was an abuser and sex offender, I wouldn't have written a smiley face behind it.

"It's hard for me to say, because I can't remember. But I didn't know he was a sex offender or an abuser, if that's what you're asking."

The interview with NRK was limited to 20 minutes due to the Mette-Marit's inability to speak for extended periods because of her lung condition.

Despite this, Crown Princess Mette-Marit also briefly spoke about her son's criminal trial.

"We are a family that has been in a very demanding situation in recent weeks. For us, the focus has been primarily on the family.

"I am the mother of a young man who has been in a very demanding situation. In addition, I have health that requires a lot of rest. And it has developed even more."

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