The news hit like a bomb on August 4, 2024: Marius Borg Høiby has been arrested near the residence of the Crown Prince and Princess. The night before, he was said to have beaten his girlfriend and broken into her apartment. In a leaked phone call to the woman, Høiby was heard threatening to burn her things and saying that he wanted her dead.
An investigation began and grew when two former girlfriends came forward and accused Høiby of violence. The trial, which starts today, includes 38 charges: in addition to rape, assault in a close relationship, violation of a woman's privacy, damage to property, violence, violation of a restraining order, death threats, serious drug offenses and traffic violations.
29-year-old Høiby, who is Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, has admitted some of the allegations but denied the most serious ones.
Were asleep or drunk?
Several of the charges were added after police went through Høiby's phones and storage devices. They allegedly found videos of women's genitals and films showing Høiby assaulting them. The last rape occurred, according to Norwegian media, almost three months after the police began their investigation.
According to prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø, the women were either asleep or so drunk that they were unable to resist the actions.
"Rape and violence in close relationships are very serious acts that can leave lasting harm and destroy lives," said Henriksbø when he presented the indictment.
Mette-Marit is leaving
The interest in the Høiby case is enormous and the press is very busy. Around 200 journalists from Norway and other countries are covering the trial, which is set to last seven weeks, on site in Oslo.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess will not be attending. Mette-Marit - herself in the spotlight for her relationship with the now deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein - will, according to Prince Haakon, go on a “private trip” instead.
Marius Borg Høiby has no royal title or public role, but is part of the royal family and lived until last fall in the crown prince couple's residence at Skaugum near Oslo. The criminal investigation has rocked the royal house and the entire Norwegian monarchy - and raised questions about how much Mette-Marit and Haakon actually knew about Høiby's life.
Among other things, VG has reported that Mette-Marit is said to have gone home to her son and "cleaned up" before he was arrested the first time. According to Aftenposten, at least two of Marius' ex-girlfriends are also said to have informed the crown prince couple about the assault.
Marius Borg Høiby, born in 1997, is 29 years old and the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit and businessman Morten Borg.
Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. Marius Borg Høiby was four years old at the time and charmed the Norwegian people, although some were skeptical that the Crown Prince would marry a single mother.
Marius Borg Høiby has two half-siblings: Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20. Høiby is the only one in the family who does not have a royal title and has therefore often been called the "bonus prince".
Høiby was first arrested in August 2024. A year later, the indictment against him was presented, which included 32 charges, including rape and assault in a close relationship. Six more charges were added in January of this year. There are seven plaintiffs, six of them women.
Høiby was arrested again on Sunday, February 1, two days before the scheduled start of the trial, for, among other things, assault and knife threats.
The trial at Oslo District Court is expected to last seven weeks. He could face up to 16 years in prison if convicted.
The Norwegian royal family has been rocked by several sensational controversies and scandals in recent years. Here are the most talked about:
Marius Borg Høiby case: The criminal charges against Crown Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son have been described as the worst scandal in modern times for the Norwegian royal family. The Crown Prince and Princess have been questioned for their handling of the case, as well as for their inability to put an end to Høiby's rampant criminal career.
Mette-Marit's Epstein connection: The Crown Princess is mentioned around 1,000 times in the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. She is said to have borrowed the financier's Florida home, despite knowing that he had been convicted of buying sex from a minor. In an email to Epstein, Mette-Marit asked, among other things, whether it would be "inappropriate" to suggest a picture of naked women to her then 15-year-old son and wrote that "Paris is good for infidelity."
Princess Märtha Louise's wedding: In August 2024, Crown Prince Haakon's sister Märtha Louise married the self-proclaimed "shaman" Durek Verrett. Criticism was widespread - partly regarding Verrett's many controversial statements, partly regarding the couple's sale of image and film rights to Hello Magazine and Netflix and the launch of their own gin ahead of the wedding, which was considered to violate the ban on using Märtha Louise's princess title for commercial purposes.
Declining public opinion: The scandals have led to a decline in support for the royal family. Seven out of ten Norwegians want Märtha Louise to be stripped of her title, according to a poll conducted for NRK in late January. However, 70 percent still support the monarchy, which is an increase from a record low of 62 percent in September 2024.
