It's a sign of life that many in Norway have been waiting for: For the first time since her lung transplant, a picture of Crown Princess Mette-Marit (52) has been released to the public. On Monday morning, the Norwegian Royal House shared on Instagram several photos showing the Crown Prince couple in front of the television - intently watching the World Cup match between Norway and Brazil.
In the photo, a beaming Mette-Marit sits together with Crown Prince Haakon (52) on the sofa in Oslo Palace. Both are wearing fan scarves, with small Norwegian flags standing on the windowsill. From there, the couple followed the victorious World Cup match of the Norwegian team against Brazil. And the court published even more photos of the family.
Celebration in front of the palace
The Norwegians' victory apparently didn't just create excitement behind the palace walls. Looking out the window, Mette-Marit and Haakon saw a sea of people celebrating the victory in the palace square. As the Norwegian broadcaster "NRK" further reported, the Crown Prince even joined them later in the evening: In front of the palace, he "rowed" together with the cheering crowd.
While the Crown Prince couple followed the match from home, other members of the family were closer to the action. The Norwegian royal couple Harald (89) and Sonja (89) watched the game from the Norwegian Atlantic island of Mågerø. A photo in the social media post also shows them waving small flags. Princess Ingrid Alexandra (22) and Prince Sverre Magnus (20), Mette-Marit and Haakon's children, were even cheering directly in the stadium in the USA.
Not yet discharged
As pleasing as the photos, which according to the caption were taken in the palace, may be for the public - it apparently does not mean that Mette-Marit has completely left the hospital. The court explicitly emphasizes this. "As we have already communicated, we will inform when the Crown Princess is discharged from the hospital. So far, this has not been the case", clarified Liv Anette Luane, communications advisor at the Norwegian Royal Court, to "NRK".
The court did not initially comment further on the Crown Princess's exact health condition after the serious procedure. Nevertheless, the published pictures send a clear signal: Mette-Marit is participating in public life again - for now from the sofa.
