King Harald of Norway Gives Surprise Remarks About Crown Princess Mette-Marit as She Skips State Banquet

Janine HenniWed, March 25, 2026 at 4:57 PM UTC

0

King Harald on March 24, 2026; Crown Princess Mette-Marit on March 24, 2026Credit: Didier Lebrun / Pool / Photonews via Getty ; Didier Lebrun / Pool / Photonews via Getty -

King Harald addressed Crown Princess Mette-Marit's absence from the Belgian state banquet, citing her deteriorating health

Mette-Marit, diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, has faced escalating health challenges in recent months

The Crown Princess has also faced public scrutiny this year over ties to Jeffrey Epstein and her son Marius' high-profile trial

King Harald of Norway revealed why Crown Princess Mette-Marit was absent from the Belgian state banquet in a surprise shout-out.

The Norwegian royal family is currently hosting King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium for a state visit, and the King of Norway, 89, unexpectedly addressed his daughter-in-law's absence from the glamorous banquet during his speech there on March 24.

"I know that our dear Crown Princess would have wished to be with us tonight. Unfortunately, she is unable to attend due to her health situation," King Harald said in his remarks, according to Hello! magazine.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, is married to Harald's son Crown Prince Haakon, heir to the Norwegian throne, and a typical fixture at such official events. However, the health matter that her father-in-law referenced was the reason why the palace previously clarified she wouldn't be participating in the Belgian state visit, as her health has "deteriorated."

King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and King Harald at the Belgian state banquet in Oslo, Norway on March 24, 2026.Credit: Benoit Doppagne / Pool / Photonews via Getty

Mette-Marit has chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes scarred, making it difficult for the lungs to operate properly. The Crown Princess was diagnosed with the condition in 2018, for which there is no known cure.

In October 2025, she took the month off from royal duty to receive pulmonary rehabilitation and in December, the palace said that she was being evaluated for a lung transplant amid a "clear worsening" of her health.

The Crown Princess undertook three engagements in late January but had not embarked on royal duty otherwise, with a representative for Royal House of Norway revealing last week that she wouldn't be involved in the Belgian state visit as her health situation had escalated.

A portrait before the Belgian state banquet with King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on March 24, 2026 in Oslo, Norway.Credit: Photonews via Getty

"The Crown Princess's health has deteriorated, which is why she is not currently listed in the program for the state visit," Guri Varpe, the palace's head of communications, told NRK in a piece published on March 17.

Defying expectations, Mette-Marit made a surprise appearance as the Belgian state visit began on March 24.

The royal joined her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, and in-laws, King Harald and Queen Sonja, for the audience and official photographs with the King and Queen of Belgium at the Royal Palace in Oslo, which followed the formal welcome ceremony, which was held outdoors.

Advertisement

The official photo in the Birds Room of Crown Princess Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Prince Haakon, Queen Mathilde, King Philippe, King Harald and Queen Sonja during the official state visit on March 24, 2026.Credit: Didier Lebrun / Photonews via Getty

Mette-Marit's appearance marked her first official royal event in nearly two months, since Jan. 28, but she skipped the diplomatic dinner, where Queen Sonja and Queen Mathilde broke out their tiaras, and state visit programming the following day.

King Harald's telling reference to Mette-Marit as "our dear Crown Princess" emphasized his affection for her during a trying time. It's been a turbulent year so far for Crown Princess Mette-Marit amid her delicate health, name revelation in the U.S. Department of Justice's latest batch of Epstein files and high-profile Oslo trial of her son, Marius Borg Høiby.

According to Norwegian newspaper VG, Mette-Marit was named over 1,000 times in the U.S. Department of Justice's Jan. 30 file drop of over three million pages relating to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. The DOJ dossier shed new light on the extent of the friendship between the Norwegian princess and American financier, a convicted sex offender who died while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019.

Mette-Marit and Epstein were reportedly in touch from 2011 to 2014 and she previously disavowed her association with him in 2019, following his death, but the DOJ file dump drew negative attention to her and the Norwegian royal family.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit on March 24, 2026; Jeffrey Epstein on May 18, 2005.Credit: POOL DIDIER LEBRUN / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty; Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The royal apologized for their friendship with Epstein in a Feb. 6 statement and sat for a highly rare interview with NRK on March 19, where she fought back tears as she reflected on knowing Epstein and said the victims deserve justice. (Being named in the Epstein files does not connote wrongdoing, and Mette-Marit has not been accused of any misconduct in connection with him.)

NRK said the palace limited the interview to 20 minutes due to Crown Princess Mette-Marit's health, and she also referenced the stress her son Marius' trial put on her family.

"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," she said.

Marius, 29, is Mette-Marit's son from a relationship prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, and in early February, he headed to court in Oslo on 38 charges, including four counts of rape, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The highly publicized trial concluded on March 19, the same day Mette-Marit spoke with NRK, and a verdict has not yet been reached.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”