Inside Norway’s royal family: illness, heirs and a complicated family past

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Royals (1 / 1) 28.08.2026 23:07 / Peter

Norway's new monarch may wear the crown, but the spotlight is on the family — a meet-cute from 1999, a queen who fought serious illness, and children stepping into public roles. Read on to discover the full story!

A royal partnership

Haakon met Mette-Marit in 1999 and they married at Oslo Cathedral on Aug. 25, 2001. Mette-Marit already had a son, Marius (born Jan. 13, 1997). During their courtship questions arose about past troubles connected to Marius’s father and the couple’s decision to live together before marriage; the pair asked the public to move forward together.

The Queen’s health

Mette-Marit has been a working royal for over two decades. She was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018; her condition worsened in March 2026, she received a lung transplant in June and returned to public life the next month to support Norway at the World Cup.