Son of Norway’s Crown Princess on Trial for 38 Crimes, Breaks Down in Court
Son of Norway’s Crown Princess on Trial for 38 Crimes, Breaks Down in Court
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, faces 38 charges including four rapes in an Oslo trial, arguing he can’t remember taking the videos amid tense testimony.
Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is on trial in Oslo district court facing 38 charges, including four rapes and assaults. He has pleaded not guilty to the most serious offences and could face up to 16 years in prison if convicted.
He testified about an afterparty in 2018 at Skaugum, the royal couple’s residence, stating that the event occurred in the basement while the prince and princess were upstairs. Prosecutors allege that videos and photographs taken during the early morning hours show him groping a woman who appeared to be unconscious. Høiby claimed he does not remember taking the videos or pictures, telling the judges, “I don’t even remember taking them.” He said there was consensual sex, and that he never engages with women who are not awake, before breaking down in tears as he described the pressure from the press.
During the session, the court reviewed four videos and ten pictures captured between 7:12am and 7:17am on a December 2018 morning. The prosecution contends the material documents rape without intercourse within that window, while the defense emphasizes gaps in his memory and questions the context of the encounters. Høiby’s emotional testimony comes amid broader scrutiny of the royal family, including criticism of Mette-Marit’s past associations with Jeffrey Epstein.
Observers say the case will test Norway’s approach to accountability within a modern monarchy, with outcomes potentially reverberating beyond the courtroom. The proceedings in Oslo are expected to continue as the court weighs the evidence and the testimonies of those involved.
