Norway is facing its biggest royal scandal in history as Marius Borg Høiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is set to appear before Oslo District Court on 3 Feb. He faces allegations of raping four women, along with drug and assault charges. The case is scheduled to run until 19 Mar and is expected to attract widespread media attention.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, son of Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, born from a previous relationship before her marriage to Prince Haakon, is scheduled to appear in Oslo District Court on Tuesday, 3 Feb. He faces charges including the rape of four women and a total of 38 counts, including smuggling 3.5 kilograms of cannabis and abusing several ex-girlfriends, with some incidents dating back to 2018.
Trond Noren Isaksen, a historian specializing in the Norwegian royal family, described this as the biggest scandal in 120 years. "We have had disputes over marriage choices or palace renovations before, but never such serious criminal cases, especially with so many charges," he said.
Høiby was first arrested on 4 Aug 2024 on charges of assaulting his girlfriend, which he later admitted was committed under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, citing long-standing mental health and substance abuse issues. However, further investigation uncovered more shocking evidence: he allegedly raped four women while they were asleep or unconscious from intoxication in 2018, 2023, and 2024. Høiby reportedly recorded videos of the assaults. The most recent rape occurred after police had already begun investigating him.
In addition to the sexual offenses, last week police added charges related to smuggling 3.5 kilograms of cannabis in 2020, to which Høiby has pleaded guilty. However, he continues to deny most of the serious rape and assault charges, with his legal team stating he will only testify in court.
This case has caused great embarrassment and tension for Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit, who have financially supported Høiby personally, even though he holds no official royal title or role. Prince Haakon stated he trusts the justice system to be fair and just, but neither royal will attend the court proceedings.
Prosecutors confirmed that Høiby will be treated equally under the law without special privileges or harsher punishment due to family ties. If found guilty on multiple counts, he could face up to 16 years in prison.
The fallout from this case, combined with previous scandals involving Princess Märtha Louise, Crown Prince Haakon's sister, has caused public support for the monarchy in Norway to decline from 81% in 2017 to 70% currently. However, most Norwegians still sympathize with King Harald and Queen Sonja, aged 88, who are not implicated in the behavior of their non-royal grandson.
.sourceAFP