Future king rushes home after 'worrying' update on Princess

Prince Haakon, heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, has ended international trip due to Crown Princess's 'worrying' illness.

"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 Norwegian Royal House has confirmed.

The Palace stated on Friday the heir to the throne would maintain his scheduled engagements in Tokyo from June 1-3, though his planned trip to the coastal city of Hachinohe on June 4 has been scrapped entirely.

The 52-year-old future King of Norway, who's the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, was expected to meet Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako during his visit.

The announcement follows remarks made by Crown Prince Haakon just days earlier in which he expressed deep concern for his wife's condition.

"The Crown Princess is seriously ill, and I think she has gotten a bit worse lately," he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. "So I am worried about her health."

According to latest update on Crown Princess Mette-Marit's health, she now depends on supplemental oxygen in her daily routine, which Haakon noted "helps a bit".

Regarding the possibility of a lung transplant, the Crown Prince indicated such decisions rest with medical professionals.

"It's a medical question. So they're the ones who decide when it should happen, when it's right," he explained.

The Crown Princess, also 52, received her diagnosis of chronic pulmonary fibrosis back in 2018, an incurable condition affecting the lungs.

Her most recent public appearance came on May 17 at the royal residence Skaugum, near Oslo, where she attended Norwegian Constitution Day celebrations.