Written By Joyce Nzomo
The son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been charged with multiple counts of rape, domestic violence and assault following a year-long police investigation.
Marius Borg Høiby, 28, the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, faces 32 criminal counts including one charge of rape with intercourse and three without intercourse, some of which prosecutors say he filmed.
If convicted on the most serious charges, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
State attorney Sturla Henriksbo confirmed the indictment on Monday and said the trial could begin in January and run for six weeks.
Høiby has denied the rape and violence charges but will admit to some lesser offences, his lawyer Petar Sekulic said.
The allegations include physical abuse against a former partner, influencer Nora Haukland. Prosecutors said he repeatedly hit her in the face, choked and kicked her, and caused damage to her home. Høiby previously admitted to injuring Haukland while under the influence of cocaine and alcohol and expressed regret.
He was detained for a week in November 2023 during the investigation. His name has also been linked in Norwegian media to gang members, Hells Angels bikers and the Albanian mafia. In 2017 he was arrested for cocaine use at a music festival.
The royal palace issued a brief statement, stressing that it was up to the courts to reach a verdict. Høiby, who holds no royal title and is outside the line of succession, “will not be treated more lightly or more severely” than any other citizen, prosecutors said.
The case has sent shockwaves through Norway, where the royal family is widely regarded as a symbol of national unity. The trial will be closely watched not only for its legal implications but also for its impact on the monarchy’s public standing.
