Queen Mette-Marit Finds Solace in Weaving Amidst Personal Struggles

Queen Mette-Marit of Norway has shared how the craft of weaving has become a source of calm and reflection during a difficult period, marked by her son's rape conviction and her own significant health challenges.

In a statement accompanying a portrait shared by the Norwegian Royal House, the Queen described the therapeutic qualities of weaving. "When I sit down at the loom, everything calms down," she said. "Time slows down, and it's impossible to rush. Weaving takes time, but it offers us something precious in return: time and space. A place to recharge."

Queen Mette-Marit began weaving around 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. She has previously gifted a tapestry to her mother-in-law, Queen Sonja. The Threads of Time - From Royal Steppes to Royal Carpet exhibition, held at the Dronning Sonja KunstStall museum in Oslo and which reopened on October 15, showcases royal artworks from 1899 to 1955, a period that highlights the historical significance of textiles.

Her public reflections on weaving come as she has stepped back from royal duties following a lung transplant earlier this year. The rehabilitation period is expected to last until next summer, and she has not been seen publicly since the funeral of Princess Astrid of Norway on September 23. The transplant followed a diagnosis of chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that had significantly deteriorated over the past six months. Doctors had indicated the transplant was a last resort.

The Queen also missed her husband's swearing-in ceremony in September due to complications from the transplant surgery. She was also unable to attend her late father-in-law's church memorial service.

This period of personal difficulty for the Queen has been compounded by public scrutiny regarding her past association with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Documents released this year revealed she stayed at Epstein's Palm Beach residence in 2013, an association she has since stated was based on being misled.

Further challenges have arisen from the legal troubles of her son, Marius Borg Høiby, from a previous relationship. Høiby was convicted in June by an Oslo court of assaulting his former girlfriend, issuing threats, and committing traffic offenses. He was acquitted of two other rape charges but remains under house arrest pending an appeal against his four-year sentence. He had been charged with sexually assaulting four women.

Although Høiby does not hold a royal title, he has been closely associated with the Norwegian Royal Family. He participated in carrying his late step-grandfather King Harald V's coffin in August, an act that drew criticism from some royal supporters. However, at King Harald V's funeral in September, Høiby was seated behind other family members. A video circulated online that appeared to show Queen Sonja avoiding a greeting with Høiby at the funeral.