On Monday, a Norwegian district court will deliver its long-awaited verdict and sentence in the high-profile criminal trial of Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, wrapping up a legal proceeding that has captured public attention across the Scandinavian nation and drawn widespread international scrutiny.
Høiby, who was born from Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s pre-marital relationship with a commoner and grew up in the royal household alongside heir to the throne Crown Prince Haakon, but holds no official royal title or ceremonial duties, faces a total of 40 separate criminal charges. The most serious accusations against him include four counts of rape, alongside additional allegations of violence, threats, and abusive behavior spanning from 2018 to 2024. Prosecutors allege that in each of the four rape cases, the accusers were either asleep or severely incapacitated and unable to consent at the time of the alleged incidents.
Høiby has issued a full denial of all four rape charges and pushed back on key details of many other allegations against him. He has only admitted to a series of less severe offenses, including drug-related violations, traffic misdemeanors, and violating the terms of a previously issued restraining order. Prosecutors have formally requested that Oslo District Court hand down a seven-year and seven-month prison sentence, while Høiby’s defense team has argued for the dismissal of all rape charges, and asked that any sentence for the crimes their client has admitted to not exceed 18 months of incarceration.
The six-week trial concluded back in March after testimony from four separate accusers, alongside the submission of extensive evidence, including digital communications, images and video files recovered from Høiby’s personal cellphone. In the weeks leading up to Monday’s ruling, public interest has been further amplified by the declining health of Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who lives with pulmonary fibrosis and is currently waiting for a life-saving lung transplant. Legal debates unfolded over whether Høiby should be granted temporary release from pre-verdict custody to see his mother, but appeals courts ultimately ruled that he must remain detained through the conclusion of the case. Legal analysts broadly note that regardless of how the court rules on the most severe rape charges, Høiby is still widely expected to receive a prison sentence for the lesser offenses he has already admitted.
The case has gained outsized attention both domestically and globally due to Høiby’s direct ties to Norway’s royal family, and it comes at a time when the monarchy is already facing increased public scrutiny. Recently, public disclosures revealed that Crown Princess Mette-Marit maintained past social contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased American financier and convicted sex offender. The crown princess has publicly apologized for the connection, acknowledged that she exercised poor judgment in continuing her relationship with Epstein, and has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein disclosures.
Editor’s note: This report includes discussion of sexual violence. For individuals in the U.S. seeking support for sexual assault experiences, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. For survivors based in Norway, the national sexual abuse victim helpline can be reached at +47 800 57 000.