The dried leaves rustle as Sol the dog looks for something to eat in the palace park in Oslo. Thoril Svendsen, who is holding the leash, is delighted that the clouds are breaking up. Ten minutes away, the final day of the trial against Norway's "bonus prince", Marius Borg Høiby is about to be adjourned for lunch.
Thoril Svendsen pauses the news report and takes out her headphones.
"I have always been against the monarchy. I hope we get a president," she tells TT's correspondent.
Confidence is eroding
Marius Borg Høiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship. He is charged with 40 crimes, including four counts of rape. In recent weeks, Mette-Marit has been in the spotlight due to her friendship with the now deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
All families, including royal families, have a black sheep, says Thoril Svendsen.
In February, the Norwegian public service broadcaster NRK measured trust in the monarchy. 60 percent responded that they support the monarchy, which is a loss of 10 percentage points compared to a month earlier.
The same survey showed that trust in Mette-Marit has halved. King Harald, on the other hand, receives a high rating – an average of 9.2 points out of 10.
"I think the current royal couple have done a good job. They have represented Norway well, on the whole, but what it will be like in the future, you don't know," says Oslo resident Målfrid Kile.
She explains that she is neutral on the issue of the monarchy's existence or non-existence, and that it "has been good the way it has been".
Have you followed the trial against Høiby?
Yes, that's bad.
King's portrait in the bathroom
At noon the same day the trial was adjourned, the verdict is expected in early June. At home in Skaugum, Crown Princess Mette-Marit has broken her silence about Epstein in an interview with NRK. The family, she says, has been in a “very demanding situation” in recent weeks.
"I think it's a bit embarrassing," says Oslo resident Marius Syvertsen, in response to the question of whether he is ashamed of the royal family after everything that has happened.
His brother, Esben Pettersen, has the “people’s king” Olav V as his favorite king. A picture of Olav’s father, Håkon VII, hangs in the bathroom.
"I trust the royal family more than Prime Minister Støre," says Pettersen.
He did not want to follow the Høiby trial.
It's too sad.
