Crown Prince Haakon is cutting short his trip to Japan next week over the health of his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who he said earlier this week was "seriously ill".
A statement from the Palace read: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is shortening his official trip to Japan by one day due to the health situation of Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess."
The heir to the Norwegian throne was due to be hosted by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. While his visit will still include a trip to Tokyo, alongside a state dinner, his visit to Hachinohe has now been called off.
Earlier this week, Haakon gave an update on his wife, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis back in 2018. Speaking to local media, he said: "The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately. So I am worried about her health.
"She uses oxygen in her everyday life, and that helps a bit. And these six months have gone pretty well, I think. But there are different phases. So we just have to try to solve it as best we can."
The royal added that his wife was still on the transplant list for a new set of lungs, but he was uncertain when this might happen, saying it was "a medical question".
Mette-Marit was last seen in public earlier this month for Norwegian Constitution Day and was seen at the royal residence Skaugum, near Oslo, on 17 May.
Norwegian health crisis
Mette-Marit isn't the only member of the Norwegian royal family facing health issues. Earlier this week, Queen Sonja was forced to cancel engagements and was admitted to hospital for "heart problems".
Although an initial statement said that the royal would be kept in "for a few days", she was discharged the following morning, with her husband, King Harald, saying that she was doing "much better" following a tweak to her medication.
© Getty ImagesSonja has been admitted to hospital several times over the past few years, including last year, following shortness of breath during a skiing trip. She was subsequently fitted with a pacemaker during surgery.
Meanwhile, Harald's older sister, Princess Astrid, 94, was hospitalised back in March to recover from pneumonia. At the time, palace communications director Guri Varpe said that the princess needed "rest and convalescence" following her illness. She is now said to be "on the road to recovery".
