Norway's Crown Princess On "Sick Leave" Due To Rare Lung Condition

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on sick leave for at least a week due to a rare lung condition from which she suffers, the palace said Wednesday.

The 51-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon announced in October 2018 that she had been diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable disease that causes scarring of the lungs and shortness of breath.

"Due to side effects from the medication that the Crown Princess has to take for her chronic lung disease, she has been placed on sick leave, initially for one week," the palace said on its website.

The condition has at times affected her royal duties, requiring her to lighten her load or cancel engagements.

"She will never be cured, but the illness is not deteriorating very rapidly, which is what the doctors are aiming for," Haakon said in an official autobiography published last year.

"She has many good days. But the uncertainty is always there. Do we have to cancel? We never know. Illness is also a part of life, as is addressing challenges together," he added.

Mette-Marit has been in the Norwegian headlines recently after her 27-year-old son -- from a relationship prior to her marriage to the crown prince -- was accused by several ex-girlfriends of assault, most recently in August when he admitted being under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.

She has repeatedly told media that she is unable to comment on the case "out of respect for all parties".

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