"My family's situation is difficult enough as it is. I want to go out and be there for my mother, who is seriously, seriously ill," Høiby said in Oslo District Court.
The so-called "bonus prince" is Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship. He is in custody on suspicion of several rapes, among other charges, and has requested to be released in shackles while awaiting sentencing.
In court, it emerged that Høiby had been on leave for a few hours to attend a family meeting with Mette-Marit's doctor at the Crown Prince and Princess' residence, Skaugum.
On Friday, it became known that Mette-Marit had been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant after her pulmonary fibrosis worsened.
