Body
Norwegian police arrested Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, on Sunday evening over new allegations, a day before his rape trial is scheduled to begin in Oslo. Police said the case involves charges including rape, assault, threats with a knife and alleged violations of a restraining order, and they described the detention decision as aimed at reducing the risk he could reoffend.
Oslo district court granted prosecutors’ request on Monday to keep him in custody for up to four weeks. The court order followed an arrest that police said took place on Sunday, with Norwegian media reporting that the alleged offenses occurred over the weekend. With the trial set to open Tuesday, prosecutors would not hear statements the defense expects to provide to police until the upcoming weekend break, defense lawyer Petar Sekulic said.
Sekulic told The Associated Press that the arrest followed an alleged “incident” involving another person on Sunday. He said Høiby contests his detention and that his legal team was considering an appeal as soon as he and the other person can provide statements to police.
Høiby’s trial is set to begin Tuesday, and the indictment before the Oslo court includes 38 counts. Prosecutors allege rape in a case spanning four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024. Police and the indictment also cover alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023, and allegations of violence against a subsequent partner alongside alleged restraining-order violations.
The indictment further includes charges that Høiby transported 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of marijuana, along with allegations of making death threats and traffic violations. The case has been the subject of repeated scrutiny since he was arrested multiple times in 2024 on various allegations of wrongdoing, AP reported.
Høiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon; he has no royal title or official duties. According to the AP report, his defense team has said that he “denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence.”
In a statement reported by AP, Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit do not plan to attend court and that the royal house does not intend to comment during the proceedings, which are scheduled to last until March 19. He said Høiby is not part of the royal house and emphasized that, as a citizen of Norway, he has the same responsibilities and rights as others.
The Høiby case is beginning as Mette-Marit also faces renewed scrutiny over her earlier contacts with Jeffrey Epstein. AP reported that documents released Friday from the Epstein files included several hundred mentions of the crown princess and highlighted that, in 2019, she said she regretted having had contact with Epstein.
The documents, including email exchanges with Epstein, showed Mette-Marit borrowed a property of Epstein’s in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in early 2013, and the royal house confirmed that it occurred through a mutual friend, broadcaster NRK reported. In an emailed statement to AP, Mette-Marit said she must take responsibility for not investigating Epstein’s background more thoroughly and for not realizing sooner what kind of person he was, adding that it is “simply embarrassing,” while also expressing sympathy and solidarity with Epstein abuse victims.
While royal family members are generally popular in Norway, AP said the Høiby case has cast a shadow over their image. The report noted that other episodes have also drawn criticism, including business ventures involving Haakon’s sister, Princess Märtha Louise.