OSLO, Norway (AP) — The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess was back in court Wednesday for the second day of a trial where he faces multiple charges, including rape.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, pleaded not guilty to the most serious charge when his seven-week trial began on Tuesday. He is the eldest son of Princess Mette-Marit and the stepson of Prince Haakon, heir to the throne.
While Hoiby has no royal title or official duties, the case and new revelations about Mette-Marit’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein have brought international attention to the beloved royal family.
A look at the Norwegian royal family genealogy
King Harald, 88, belongs to the Glücksburg family and leads a monarchy in Norway that is more than 1,100 years old. But like many European royal houses, the Norwegian monarch has no real political power today.
The Norwegian royal family also has relatives in other European royal families. For example, Harald was related to both King Charles III of England and King Felipe VI of Spain: they were both descendants of Queen Victoria of England.
Harald married civilian Sonja Haraldsen in 1968. Their son, Prince Haakon, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, both 52, married in 2001. That year she made headlines for being a single mother living a freewheeling life with a partner who had been convicted of drug charges.
The Crown Prince and Princess have two children: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Prince Sver Magnus, 19.
In 1990, the Norwegian constitution was changed to allow the eldest son, regardless of gender, to have priority in the order of succession. This means Princess Ingrid Alexandra will one day take the throne of Norway.
The change is not retroactive and Haakon remains first in line to the throne, despite having an older sister, Princess Martha Louise.
Crown Princess had contact with Jeffrey Epstein
Mette-Marit is known to have had contact with Jeffrey Epstein. But her relationship faces new scrutiny after the largest release of Epstein documents on Friday.
In a statement after the news was released, Mette-Marit said she took responsibility for “not investigating Epstein’s background more thoroughly” and regretted “having any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing.”
She expressed “deep sympathy and solidarity” with the victims of Epstein’s abuse.
The newly released documents include an email Mette-Marit sent to Epstein in November 2012 asking: “Is it appropriate for a mother to suggest that I use two naked women carrying surfboards as wallpaper for my 15-year-old son?”
He replied: “Let them decide” and advised the mother to “stay out of it”.
In an email last month, Epstein noted that he was “looking for a wife” in Paris but “I prefer Scandinavians.”
She replied that Paris was “good for adultery” but “Scandinavia” was “better wife material”.
Her son denies rape accusation in court
Hoiby denied the rape charge on Wednesday and gave evidence in court the next day. Norwegian tabloid VG reported that he cried at one point and lashed out at the intense media attention he has received since he was a child.
The crown prince issued a statement last week saying the couple would not appear in court or comment on the case during the trial. It noted that Hoiby was not a member of the royal family, before adding: “We care about him and he is a valued member of our family.”
The statement said Mette-Marit planned an unspecified “private stay” in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, royal communications adviser Sara Svanemyr wrote in an email that the crown princess “has postponed her planned travel until further notice.” It did not elaborate.
Last month, the court said medical tests revealed a “significant deterioration” in Mette-Marit’s health related to the pulmonary fibrosis lung disease diagnosed in 2018. The court said doctors had begun studying the possibility of a lung transplant for her.
as a result of
The royal family has traditionally enjoyed broad public support, but its popularity has declined since Oslo police said in August 2024 that Hojby faced suspicion of causing bodily harm and criminal damage.
“It’s been a shocking year and a half for the Norwegian people because we really love our royal family,” said Tove Taalesen, a royal expert at the Nettavisen newspaper. “We respect them and we consider King Harald as our grandfather.”
A poll by the Norstat agency for the Dagbladet daily and public broadcaster NRK showed that two-thirds of respondents said they support a constitutional monarchy as a form of government, down from nearly three-quarters in August. A similar poll by VG also showed declining support for the monarchy.
“I like King, but with Hoiby and the newly released Epstein dossier and Mette-Marit, there’s a lot to think about,” student Gustav Onerheim said in Oslo on Monday. “I’m really looking forward to the outcome in court.”
___
Lewis reported from Stavanger, Norway, and Ketten reported from Geneva. Aaron Kessler in Washington contributed to this report.
