Issuing a rare statement, the Norwegian royal, Crown Prince Haakon, has commented on his wife’s absence during a trip to America. Crown Princess Mette-Marit had to cancel her trip as she is undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation in Norway.
Mette-Marit, 52, was diagnosed with the chronic lung condition in 2018, and this has affected the number of engagements she can participate in. The Norwegian royal, 52, is visiting the states of Iowa, Minnesota and New York to mark the 200th anniversary of the first Norwegian emigration to America.
The prince spoke to news outlet vg.no. He said: “It’s always nicer to travel together. But I think it’s great to be able to be here anyway, and I think it’s good that she gets to be in the pulmonary rehabilitation she’s in now.”
Ahead of her treatment, Mette-Marit said: “I should have done it a long time ago, but now is the time. So I’m going to do it. Because I need a little more help than before to cope with daily life with pulmonary fibrosis.”
The Norwegian royal palace previously said in a statement: “Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit will undergo a month of pulmonary rehabilitation in Norway from the beginning of October.
“The Crown Princess will therefore not carry out official assignments in October, but some exceptions are planned, such as the dinner for the representatives of the Storting at the Royal Palace on October 23. The Crown Princess is scheduled to resume her official work in November.”
While in America, Crown Prince Haakon will also travel to Minnesota, where he will meet Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
He will also welcome the ship “Restauration” in New York, which is a replica of the first ship that set sail with Norwegian emigrants in 1825.
Nearly 5 million North Americans now claim Norwegian ancestry according to CBS News. The US welcomed Scandinavians during the main waves of emigration that began in the 1800s.