The son of Norway's crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape charges at the start of his trial in Oslo. Marius Borg Høiby appeared in court on Tuesday in a case that casts a shadow over the image of the Norwegian royal family.
Aged 29, Marius Borg Høiby is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. He holds no royal title and does not perform any official function within the monarchy.
38 charges read before the court
Marius Borg Høiby stood for 24 minutes while prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø listed the 38 charges against him in the Oslo District Court, asking him if he would plead guilty. He answered "no" to each of the most serious charges, including the four counts of rape.
The charges also include intimate partner violence against a former partner, acts of violence against another person, and the transportation of 3,5 kilograms (7,7 pounds) of marijuana. Other charges include making death threats and traffic violations.
Of hisI want exams
Marius Borg Høiby pleaded guilty to several traffic offences, one aggravated drug offence, and one violation of a restraining order. He also pleaded "in part" guilty of threats and aggravated violence. Wearing glasses, a brown sweater and beige pants, he spoke in a low voice and regularly consulted his lawyer, while a court officer adjusted the microphone to better capture his answers.
Prosecutors indicated that Marius Borg Høiby faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted at the end of the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19. Seven alleged victims are expected to testify.
“Equality before the law,” the prosecution insists.
"There is equality before the law."Sturla Henriksbø told the court. "The defendant is the son of the Crown Princess. He is part of the royal family. He must nevertheless be treated in the same way as any other person accused of the same offenses."
Sturla Henriksbø detailed the evidence against Marius Borg Høiby during the morning. The accused was seated between his defense lawyers, Ellen Holager Andenæs and Petar Sekulic, at the beginning of the hearing, before moving to a table behind them, where he manipulated a chain during the prosecutor's presentation.
A trial that's generating global buzz
Indicating the global attention the case has garnered, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad addressed the court in English, reminding them that recording and photography were prohibited in the courtroom. He also specified that some testimonies would be heard behind closed doors.
The investigation began in 2024 when police were called to an apartment in Oslo's affluent Frogner district following a report of a violent incident. Marius Borg Høiby was arrested and then released, but the case gained momentum when other women came forward with accusations against him.
Accusations spanning several years
The indictment filed by the prosecution last year relates in particular to four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024, alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023, as well as two alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, in addition to violations of a restraining order.
The case was expanded in January when Marius Borg Høiby was charged with six new offenses, including possession and distribution of large quantities of marijuana and other restraining order violations.
A new arrest and pre-trial detention
He was free pending trial until Sunday, when police announced his arrest following new charges of assault, threatening with a knife and violating a restraining order.
The Oslo court decided on Monday to keep him in pretrial detention for up to four weeks, deeming there to be a risk of reoffending. Lawyer Petar Sekulic indicated that the arrest followed an alleged "incident" involving another person on Sunday, without providing further details, while specifying that Marius Borg Høiby was contesting his detention and that the defense was considering an appeal.
The royal family in retreat
Crown Prince Haakon stated the previous week that he and Mette-Marit did not plan to attend the trial and that the royal household would not comment on the ongoing proceedings.
King Harald, aged 88, and the royal family generally remain popular in Norway, but the Marius Borg Høiby affair poses a major challenge to the image of the institution.
L'affair Epstein reignites media pressure
The trial opens at a delicate time for the royal family. Mette-Marit faces renewed attention regarding her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 in a New York prison while facing sex trafficking charges, following the release of a new series of documents related to the case.
These documents contain several hundred references to the Crown Princess, who had already expressed regret in 2019 for having been in contact with Jeffrey Epstein. Email exchanges show that Mette-Marit spent several days in 2013 at Jeffrey Epstein's property in Palm Beach, Florida, a stay arranged by a mutual friend and confirmed by the royal household.
In a statement, Mette-Marit said that she "had to take responsibility for not having examined Jeffrey Epstein's past more closely and for not having understood earlier what kind of person he was". She added: "I showed poor judgment and I regret having had any contact with Jeffrey Epstein. It's simply embarrassing."
