Norway’s Crown Princess makes first appearance since January

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway attended her first royal engagement on Tuesday after a break of several months following a series of scandals and health issues, news agency NTB reported, cited by DPA.

Mette-Marit joined Crown Prince Haakon in welcoming the royal couple of Belgium, who are on a state visit to Norway. According to Norwegian media, this marks her first public appearance since January.

The Crown Princess has recently faced criticism over her past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the American sex offender who was found dead in a New York prison in 2019.

Additionally, her eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, from a previous relationship before her marriage to Prince Haakon, is currently on trial facing rape charges and several other offenses, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

Mette-Marit suffers from incurable pulmonary fibrosis and requires a lung transplant, according to the Royal Palace in Oslo.