The crown-princess tripped up on a staircase and fell during a visit to an organization which works for hiv- and aids-victims in the Ukraine. The first news of the fall was that the scheduled program would be postponed some hours.

A doctor confirmed however that Mette-Marit had received a slight concussion and forbade her to continue the scheduled program, NTB has been informed.

”Sorry”

The first news was that Mette-Marit had fallen in her hotel room, but later this was corrected to having fallen during a meeting at the organizatio, All-Ukrainian Network, which works for those living with hiv or aids.

”The crown-princess is terribly sorry for what has happened. She has very much looked forward to this visit,” says the communication leader, Marianne Hagen from the Palace, who is accompanying the crown-princess on the trip.

Following orders from the doctor, Mette-Marit must now remain in bed for the next two days. Thus, most of the program for the three-day long visit is wiped out. Some of the program on Wednesday remains, prior to the scheduled return to Norway.

Sick before

According to Hagen, the crown-princess is planning to follow up these items on the program.

This is not the first time Mette-Marit is unlucky in connection with travel. When she was supposed to travel to Chile in January, together with Crown-Prince Haakon, the trip had to be cancelled for her part, due to acute sickness and diarrhea.

The trip to the Ukraine was scheduled to take place in June 2007, but was postponed due to political unrest in the country.

Special delegate

Mette-Marit is in the Ukraine in her capacity as special delegate for UNAIDS, the UN’s organization for combating aids. The director of UNAIDS in Geneva, Peter Piot is with her on the trip.

During her stay, the royal delegate should have had meetings with representatives from the Ukraine’s authorities. On the program were also meetings with vulnerable groups, youth and voluntary organizations, along with a field visit to see projects that work to improve conditions for hiv-positives and aids-sufferers.

The Ukraine is the countryin Europe which is hardest hit by hiv/aids. The number of hiv-positive people has been doubled since 2001. UNAIDS and Ukrainian health authorities estimate that almost 450,000 of the country’s 46 million inhabitants are hiv-positive.