Crown princess’s eldest son sentenced to four years for rape
Marius Borg Høiby was convicted on two rape counts and acquitted on two others, according to The Associated Press.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was sentenced Monday to four years in prison after a rape conviction, The Associated Press reported. The case has drawn international attention because Høiby grew up in Norway’s future king’s household, though he has no royal title or official public role.
According to AP, Høiby was convicted on two of the four rape charges he faced and was cleared of the other two. Prosecutors had accused him of sexually assaulting four women from 2018 to 2024 while they were asleep or otherwise unable to resist, AP reported.
Høiby, 29, denied the rape allegations, according to AP. He did acknowledge several lesser offenses in the case, which also included accusations involving assault, drug offenses and breaches of a restraining order, AP reported.
Trial followed dozens of charges
AP reported that Høiby faced 40 criminal charges in all, including four counts of rape, as well as allegations tied to violence, threats and abuse. The rape counts involved four separate women, with prosecutors saying each alleged incident involved a woman who was asleep or heavily incapacitated, according to AP.
The six-week trial ended in March, AP reported. The proceedings included testimony from multiple accusers and evidence taken from Høiby’s cellphone, including messages, photos and videos, according to the news agency.
Prosecutors asked Oslo District Court for a sentence of seven years and seven months, AP reported. Defense lawyers sought acquittal on the rape allegations and argued that any sentence for the offenses Høiby admitted should be no longer than 18 months, according to AP.
Royal connection brought scrutiny
Høiby is Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship before she married Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to Norway’s throne, AP reported. Though outside the royal line and without official duties, he was raised in the household with Haakon, according to AP.
AP reported that the case unfolded as attention also turned to Mette-Marit’s health. The crown princess has pulmonary fibrosis and is awaiting a lung transplant, and her condition became part of legal arguments over whether Høiby should be temporarily released from custody before the verdict, according to AP.
Appeals courts ruled that Høiby should stay detained while awaiting judgment, AP reported. The trial also took place amid renewed public scrutiny of the royal family after disclosures about Mette-Marit’s past contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender, according to AP.
Mette-Marit has publicly apologized for that association and said she showed poor judgment by keeping in contact with Epstein, AP reported. She has not been accused of wrongdoing, according to AP.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.