The daughter of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is returning home temporarily from Australia out of concern for her seriously ill mother, Crown Prince Haakon said on Monday.
"She wants to come home soon, and it's to do with our family situation," Haakon told Norwegian journalists on the sidelines of a three-day official visit to Japan. "She would like to be with her mother."
Princess Ingrid Alexandra has been studying international relations and political economy at the University of Sydney since last year.
Haakon said she intends to complete her three-year bachelor's degree. "But how long she will stay at home, we will have to see," he said.
Mette-Marit suffers from an incurable lung disease, and her condition has deteriorated over recent months. Haakon said his wife was faring worse again. The crown prince shortened his trip to Japan this week from four days to three days as a result.
"I feel far from home," he said. "It is important to come home and be with Mette. She is faring poorly now, which is why I wanted to do this."
