On Thursday, the Norwegian Palace released a health update on Crown Princess Mette-Marit, saying that her pulmonary fibrosis had progressed.
On Friday, the Norwegian royal appeared to be in good spirits as she resurfaced following the news. The 51-year-old was seen alongside her husband, Crown Prince Haakon at the Nordic World Ski Championships. The royal couple were joined by Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel, alongside the couple’s two children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.
In a clip shared by the Norwegian Palace, Mette-Marit was seen getting excited and emotional as she cheered on the competitors. A caption on the post read: “Good atmosphere in Granåsen!”
Meanwhile, the Swedish Palace shared a picture of the royals all together. Mette-Marit and Haakon both wore orange duffel coats in the colder weather, while Victoria stunned in a blue coat. Daniel wore a similar outfit, just in green, while the two children wore black coats.
The Palace enthused: “Ready for a weekend in Trondheim! Welcome to Trondheim and the Ski World Championships!” alongside a gold medal emoji. The post also contained the Norwegian and Swedish flags.
Fans were thrilled with the pictures, with one penning: “What a wonderful picture. It embodies the close relationship the kings in Sweden and Norway have with both nature and the people.”
A second added: “A nice friendship, and the little charming Oscar,” while a third wrote: “True friendship is the most beautiful thing. Wish you nice days together.”
The statement on Mette-Marit’s health read: “The Crown Princess has daily symptoms and ailments that affect her ability to perform her duties. The Crown Princess needs more rest, and her daily routine changes more quickly than before. This means that changes to her official schedule may occur more frequently, and at shorter notice than we are used to.
“The Crown Princess has a strong desire to continue working, and therefore we will organize her official program in the future in the best possible way so that her health and work can be combined.”
Before the statement, the royal was last seen publicly the day before as she visited a children’s ward at Ulleval Hospital.
When her diagnosis was first confirmed in 2018, Mette-Marit opened up about her condition, sharing: “For a number of years, I have had health challenges on a regular basis, and now we know more about what these are.
“Although such a diagnosis will limit my life at times, I’m glad that the disease has been discovered so early. My goal is still to work and participate in the official programme as much as possible.”