Norway's Crown Princess's son denies four rape allegations – court day marked by emotions
Norway's Crown Princess's son denies four rape allegations – court day marked by emotions
The trial against Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, began in Oslo on February 3, 2026. Høiby is on trial on a total of 38 counts, including four counts of rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, assault, violation of a no-contact order, and drug and possession offenses. He faces several years in prison if convicted.
Høiby, who appeared before the Royal Judges' Panel, denied the rapes he was accused of, stating that he had not committed any sexual assault in the cases in question. He expressly denied that acts showing sexual violence were documented on his phone or other recordings. At the same time, he admitted to some minor crimes, including dangerous bodily harm, reckless behavior and violations of a speed limit – confessions that are possible as partial confessions under Norwegian law.
During his testimony, the defendant showed emotional distress. He said he found it "very difficult" to speak in front of a large number of journalists and observers in the courtroom, mentioning the pressure he had faced in public since childhood. He also spoke openly about his life with an intense social environment marked by alcohol consumption, parties and drugs, justifying his behavior with a strong need for validation.
The charges span several years: Criminal charges relate to incidents from 2018 to 2024 and include, among other things, alleged assaults on several women, Coercion and physical violence against former partners as well as other offenses. Høiby has already been arrested by the police several times, such as in August 2024 for violence against a former girlfriend and also shortly before the start of the trial for assault, threats with a knife and disregard of a contact ban.
In the court proceedings, Høiby's defense attorney emphasized that her client must be considered innocent until all allegations are legally proven, and called for a fair and unbiased trial. At the same time, she criticized the extensive and sometimes sensational media coverage of the case.
The trial is taking place at a particularly difficult time for the Norwegian royal family. Parallel to the court hearing, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's role in the public eye is being questioned after her name appeared hundreds of times in the recently published "Epstein Files" of the US judiciary – an internal dossier on her contacts with the later convicted US criminal Jeffrey Epstein, which has led to additional criticism and media attention.
The Norwegian monarchy has traditionally enjoyed broad support, but opinion polls suggest that the current scandals could affect public trust. Despite the turbulence, a recent vote in parliament clearly rejected the abolition of the monarchy, so the institution will remain in place for the time being.
The trial against Høiby is expected to last several weeks and will be followed intensively by the media and the public. Until a verdict is reached, the presumption of innocence applies to him – as to every defendant in a state governed by the rule of law.
Author: MF Editorial Team
Source: REUTERS / SkyNews / The Guardian
