A series of scandals involving members of Norway’s royal family has placed the monarchy under intense public scrutiny, as the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit stands trial on multiple criminal charges and fresh attention focuses on the crown princess’s past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, the son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship, was indicted earlier this month in Oslo on 38 counts, including allegations of rape, violence against a former partner, drug offenses and making threats. Prosecutors have said he could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The trial is expected to continue through mid-March.
Høiby was first arrested in August 2024 on suspicion of assaulting a woman in her 20s at an apartment in Oslo. Norwegian media reported that the woman was treated for a concussion. Høiby was detained for about 30 hours before being released.
Days later, he issued a public statement acknowledging that he had caused bodily harm and damaged property following an argument while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.
“I committed bodily harm and destroyed objects in the apartment after an argument and under the influence of alcohol and cocaine,” he said at the time. “This should not have happened.”
He also said he has struggled with mental health issues and apologized to the woman involved and to his family.
In November 2024, Høiby was arrested again on suspicion of rape. In February 2025, he was formally charged in connection with the alleged rape of Norwegian television presenter Linni Meister. According to British media reports citing police documents, the alleged assault took place in 2018 during a private gathering at Skaugum Castle, the official residence of the crown prince and crown princess. Police have said they obtained videos and photographs related to the case from Høiby’s computer.
Høiby has not publicly entered a plea on the most recent charges.
Two days before the trial began, Oslo police confirmed he had been arrested again on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order.
The Norwegian royal household has sought to distance itself from the case. In 2017, the palace announced that Høiby would live as a private citizen and would not undertake royal duties. At the time, Mette-Marit said her son would “always be an important and beloved part of our family” but would not carry public responsibilities like his half-siblings.
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Haakon and Mette-Marit on their wedding day, with her son Marius Borg Høiby
(Photo: All Over Press Norway/Getty Images)
Mette-Marit, 52, married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. Haakon, also 52, is the son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja and is heir to the Norwegian throne. The couple has two children together, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20.
Their marriage drew public debate at the time because Mette-Marit, a single mother who had worked as a waitress, had no royal background and had spoken openly about a rebellious youth. In a 2001 news conference, she acknowledged past drug use and said she regretted earlier choices.
More recently, renewed attention has focused on her past association with Epstein, who died in a U.S. jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. In 2008, Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor and served 13 months in jail.
In 2019, Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv reported that Mette-Marit met Epstein several times between 2011 and 2013, after his conviction. The palace confirmed that one meeting took place at Epstein’s residence and said Crown Prince Haakon encountered Epstein once in 2012 while on vacation in St. Barts.
The palace has said Mette-Marit ended contact with Epstein in 2014 after concluding he was attempting to use his association with her to connect with others.
Earlier this year, newly released documents related to Epstein included references to Mette-Marit, including email exchanges from 2011 and 2012. Some of the correspondence was described in media reports as personal in tone.
In a recent statement, the crown princess said she regretted the association.
“Jeffrey Epstein was solely responsible for his crimes,” she said. “However, I must take responsibility for not having investigated his background more thoroughly and for not understanding earlier what kind of person he was. I show poor judgment, and I regret having had any contact with him.”
The controversies have fueled broader debate in Norway about the role and judgment of the royal family, whose duties are largely ceremonial under the country’s constitutional monarchy.
Additional attention has centered on Princess Märtha Louise, 53, Haakon’s older sister. In 2002, she relinquished her royal title to pursue private business activities. In recent years, she has drawn criticism for spiritual ventures, including claims that she can communicate with angels, and for her 2024 marriage to Durek Verrett, a self-described shaman.
Separately, historian Tor Bomann-Larsen has raised questions about the lineage of King Harald’s grandfather, King Olav V, suggesting in a recent publication that Olav may have been conceived with the help of a sperm donor in 1902 after years of unsuccessful attempts by his parents to produce an heir. The claim has not been proven and has been rejected by royal supporters. A forthcoming biography is expected to examine the issue further.
King Harald V, 88, has reigned since 1991. Norway’s monarchy, which dates back more than a century in its modern form, remains broadly popular, but the succession of scandals has presented one of its most challenging periods in recent years.