Queen Mette-Marit of Norway Attends King Harald’s Funeral Following Hospitalization

Meredith KileWed, September 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

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Queen Mette-Marit, center, and Queen Sonja arrive with King Haakon at Oslo Cathedral for the funeral service of King Harald on September 9, 2026Credit: Paul S. Amundsen / POOL / AFP via Getty -

Amid her ongoing health issues, Queen Mette-Marit of Norwayattended the funeral service for the late King Harald on Wednesday. Sept. 9

The Norwegian royal family led a procession ahead of the service, which was attended by dozens of world leaders

Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby, was permitted to attend the funeral despite currently being on house arrest after being found guilty of two counts of rape

Amid her ongoing health issues, Queen Mette-Marit of Norway attended the funeral service for the late King Harald.

The Norwegian royal family, along with dozens of world leaders and heads of state, gathered for King Harald’s state funeral at Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday, Sept. 9. King Harald died on Aug. 28.

The Norwegian royal family attendees included the new King Haakon, 53, and his children — Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20 — and King Harald’s widow, Queen Sonja, 89. Also included were King Haakon’s older sister, Princess Märtha Louise, 54, and her three daughters, Maud Angelica Behn, 23, Leah Isadora Behn, 21, and Emma Tallulah Behn, 17.

Mette-Marit, 53, was in attendance after being hospitalized last week following a lung transplant in June.

King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit of Norway, and Queen Sonja (far right) take their seats in Oslo Cathedral for the funeral on September 9, 2026Credit: Liseserud / POOL / AFP via Getty

Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby, was also permitted to attend the funeral with the royal family, despite currently being on house arrest after being found guilty of two counts of rape in June.

He was also previously granted special permission to visit King Harald in the hospital before his death, as well as to participate in the procession of the late King’s casket through the Royal Palace.

Queen Mette-Marit, right, and Queen Sonja joined the funeral procession in a royal carCredit: Per Ole Hagen/WireImage

Høiby’s legal issues came during a trying time for the royal family. In addition to King Harald’s failing health, Mette-Marit underwent a lung transplant in June. She was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, an incurable lung condition that led to her wearing a nasal cannula, or oxygen breathing tube, for some public appearances before her transplant.

Her surgery at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet — the same hospital where King Harald was being treated and eventually died —was deemed “successful.”

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Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attends the Norwegian Constitution Day festivities in Oslo on May 17, 2026Credit: Per Ole Hagen/Getty

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However, as she continues to recover, the new Queen has stayed largely out of the public eye. She missed the memorial church service for King Harald at Asker Church on Sunday, Aug. 30, but was back with the royal family the following day for the procession at the Royal Palace.

Then, on Sept. 1, Mette-Marit pulled out of a planned appearance at the swearing-in ceremony for both the new King Haakon and their daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, at the last minute. She was later seen at the National Hospital in Oslo, with a pulmonologist revealing that her absence was due to “complications” related to the lung transplant.

The pulmonologist said in a statement, “It is not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant. The Queen has had complications on some occasions since the operation, including today. As a result, the Queen must be observed throughout the day.”

The new Norwegian Queen isn’t the only royal whose health issues have affected their attendance at memorial events for the late King Harald.

On Sunday, Sept. 6, Amalienborg Palace announced that Queen Margrethe of Denmark would no longer be attending the funeral after being hospitalized for the third time this year.

“Queen Margrethe was admitted to Rigshospitalet on Sunday after feeling unwell. A new blood clot in the hip region & mild dehydration have been detected, both of which are being treated,” the statement read, adding that the Queen is “in good spirits, and, given the circumstances, is doing well.”

The former sovereign, 86, who abdicated the throne in 2024, was instead represented by her son and successor, King Frederik, his wife, Queen Mary, his son and heir, Crown Prince Christian, and Queen Margrethe’s younger sister, Princess Benedikte.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”