RismadarVoice Reporters
August 28, 2026
Mette-Marit has become Norway’s new queen following the accession of Crown Prince Haakon as king, marking a new chapter for a royal whose life has been shaped by public scrutiny, controversy and health challenges.
Mette-Marit met Haakon at the Quart music festival in Kristiansand in 1999, when she was a 25-year-old unmarried single mother and commoner. The pair dated secretly for several months before their relationship became public.
Her background attracted intense media attention as questions were raised about her previous lifestyle and suitability for joining the Norwegian royal family. Haakon and his father, the late King Harald, supported her despite the controversy.
Mette-Marit and Haakon married in 2001. She gradually established herself in the role, becoming involved in charitable activities, literature and international health initiatives.
Between 2000 and 2002, she studied ethics at the University of Oslo and later took courses at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, focusing on international development, HIV/AIDS and refugee issues.
She subsequently became particularly associated with promoting literature and reading, including efforts to introduce Norwegian authors to international audiences and encourage children to read.
Her public role was later affected by her association with convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Private emails between Mette-Marit and Epstein were released by the U.S. Justice Department in January 2026, revealing that their correspondence continued after his conviction.
Mette-Marit subsequently apologised to the royal family and said she had been manipulated and deceived by Epstein. The controversy contributed to renewed scrutiny of the Norwegian monarchy.
The situation coincided with a criminal case involving her eldest son, Marius Borg Hoiby. He was convicted in June of two counts of rape and one count of domestic violence and sentenced to four years in prison. Both Hoiby and prosecutors appealed the sentence.
Mette-Marit did not publicly comment on the trial, while Haakon addressed questions from the media.
At the same time, the new queen has faced serious health challenges. She has chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that affects breathing and can cause fatigue.
Two days after her son’s conviction, the Norwegian palace announced that Mette-Marit had undergone a successful lung transplant. Following several weeks of recovery in hospital, she returned home and marked her 25th wedding anniversary with Haakon in August.
With Haakon now king, Mette-Marit assumes the position of queen at a time when Norway’s monarchy faces continued public scrutiny over controversies surrounding the royal family.
Her transition from a commoner who faced intense criticism to Norway’s queen represents one of the more closely watched chapters in the country’s modern royal history.
