The Crown Princess of Norway has had to miss the start of her royal family’s Christmas celebrations after being diagnosed with Covid.
The Crown Princess is absent from the traditional festive photo shared by Norway’s royals in the run up to the big day. The portrait was taken at Kongsseteren and shared on December 21st as Mette-Marit continued to recuperate from the virus.
On December 20th, she had been set to attend a special service in the Chapel at the Royal Palace in Oslo, held to mark the work of volunteers. However, her illness meant she had to miss the celebration.
Instead, Crown Prince Haakon and their two children attended, as planned.
The heir to the throne gave a short speech at the service which brought together hundreds of volunteers from non-profit organisations. The Crown Prince told them ”Norway would be unrecognizable without volunteering, without you helping to make life better for many who need a little support in their everyday lives. And right now during the Christmas season, maybe that’s even more important. We want to thank each of you for your efforts.Ā You are an inspiration to us all.”
The service also included popular Christmas carols including ”Silent Night” and the symbolic lighting of candles.
The Norwegian Royal Family is due to spend the Christmas period together. It’s hoped that Crown Princess Mette-Marit will be able to rejoin them soon. Recently, the Crown Princess spoke of her longer term health issues – she was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis several years ago. Talking about her condition, she said that it’s ”not so easy to live with” but that she is coping well.
