Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape Tuesday as his trial opened in Oslo District Court, according to Norway’s public broadcaster NRK. The trial, expected to last seven weeks, centers on allegations of rape and other offenses dating back to 2018.
Høiby faces a total of 38 charges, including rape, assault, and drug offenses. The charges include repeated abuse of former partners, and non-consensual sexual filming or photography, according to indictment documents. He admitted to some of the more minor charges, telling the court he had acted “under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument,” and that he had been struggling with “mental troubles” and substance abuse, CBS News reported.
The case marks an unprecedented moment for the Norwegian monarchy, according to Trond Noren Isaksen, a historian and expert on Norway’s monarchy, who told AFP that it is “without a doubt the biggest scandal” in its 120-year history. Høiby is not in the line of royal succession, as he was born before his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.
The opening of the trial comes days after the release of documents linking Crown Princess Mette-Marit to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Crown Princess admitted to “poor judgement” regarding her contact with Epstein, which included staying at his Florida home and questioning whether it was “inappropriate” to show a 15-year-old son wallpaper depicting nude women. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre implicitly criticized her actions, calling her admission of “poor judgement” highly unusual, the BBC reported.
Police arrested Høiby on Sunday on suspicion of assault, remanding him in custody for four weeks. The latest allegations involve wielding a knife and violating a restraining order, with police citing a risk of reoffending, according to the BBC. This arrest was the fourth time Høiby has been detained by police since August 2024, when he was initially accused of assaulting a former girlfriend.
If convicted, Høiby could face more than 10 years in prison, according to NRK. The trial is scheduled to continue until March 19.
