Oslo — Marius Borg Høiby, 29, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, went on trial Tuesday in Oslo on a broad set of charges including rape. Høiby holds no royal title or official duties. The proceedings are expected to last several weeks and have cast a shadow over the royal family’s public image.
Høiby was arrested several times during 2024 and was indicted in August, but remained free pending trial until police said he was arrested Sunday on new allegations that include assault, threats with a knife and violating a restraining order. The Oslo district court approved detention for up to four weeks, citing a risk of reoffending.
Defense lawyer Petar Sekulic said the most recent arrest followed an alleged “incident” Sunday but declined to give details. Sekulic said Høiby contests the detention and that the defense may appeal once Høiby and the other person involved have given statements to police.
At the opening of the trial, prosecutors listed 38 charges against Høiby: rape, abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another partner, transporting 3.5 kg of marijuana, making death threats and various traffic offenses. Prosecutors say a conviction on the most serious counts could carry a sentence of up to 10 years. The trial is scheduled to run until March 19, and the court has said parts of the hearings will be held behind closed doors.
The indictment centers on four alleged rapes that prosecutors say occurred between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats against a former partner from summer 2022 to fall 2023; two alleged acts of violence against a later partner; and breaches of a restraining order. Høiby’s legal team says he “denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence.”
King Harald, 88, and other members of the royal family remain broadly popular in Norway, but the case has been a reputational problem for the monarchy. Crown Prince Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit do not plan to attend the trial and that the royal household will not comment while proceedings are ongoing.
The trial’s opening comes amid renewed attention to past contacts between Mette-Marit and Jeffrey Epstein after a fresh release of documents from the Epstein files that included several hundred mentions of the crown princess. Mette-Marit has previously said she regrets having had contact with Epstein, acknowledging she should have investigated his background more carefully and that she showed poor judgment.
