Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted on two counts of rape and several other criminal offences by the Oslo District Court.
The 29-year-old was cleared of two additional rape charges but found guilty of multiple offences involving violence, abuse and reckless conduct. Høiby attended the verdict hearing via video link due to health-related reasons and was not physically present in the courtroom.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months, while the defense argued for a significantly shorter term of 18 months. His legal team has indicated that an appeal is likely.
The case has attracted widespread attention in Norway because of Høiby’s close connection to the royal family. Although he holds no royal title, he was raised alongside members of the Norwegian royal household after his mother married Crown Prince Haakon when he was a child.
The court found Høiby guilty of raping two women in separate incidents that occurred in 2018 and 2024. Judges concluded that both victims were unable to resist due to being asleep or otherwise incapacitated at the time of the assaults.
One of the convictions involved an incident at the Crown Prince’s Skaugum estate, while the second related to an assault in Oslo. The ruling stated that evidence presented during the trial supported the victims’ accounts and established Høiby’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
However, the court acquitted him of two other rape charges linked to separate incidents that allegedly occurred in Oslo and the Lofoten Islands.
In addition to the rape convictions, Høiby was found guilty of abusing former partner and influencer Nora Haukland, as well as causing serious bodily harm to another woman. He was also convicted of several other offences connected to harassment and reckless behavior.
The court ordered Høiby to pay a total of 640,000 Norwegian kroner in compensation to four victims. Haukland was the only victim whose identity could be publicly disclosed under the court’s ruling.
The trial involved allegations from six women and has become one of the most closely followed legal cases in Norway in recent years. One victim present in court reportedly became emotional as the guilty verdict was delivered.
The verdict also comes at a difficult time for the Norwegian royal family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit is currently battling pulmonary fibrosis and has been placed on a lung transplant waiting list. Høiby’s lawyers had previously sought his release from custody to allow him to spend time with his mother due to her deteriorating health.
Following the ruling, defense lawyers met with Høiby at Ila Prison and Detention Centre to discuss the possibility of an appeal. Norwegian royal officials declined to comment on the court’s decision, stating that the matter had been handled through the judicial system.
Observers say the case has damaged public perceptions of the royal family and created a significant reputational challenge. However, many analysts believe that concern over Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s health has increasingly become the primary focus of public attention in recent months.
Legal experts and royal commentators suggest that the family now faces the difficult task of rebuilding public trust while respecting the court’s decision and supporting those affected by the case.
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Norway Crown Princess’s Son Jailed for Rape
Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted on two counts of rape and several other criminal offences by the Oslo District Court. The 29-year-old was cleared of two additional rape charges but found guilty of multiple offences involving violence, abuse and reckless conduct. Høiby attended the verdict hearing via video link due to health-related reasons and was not physically present in the courtroom. Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months, while the defense argued for a significantly shorter term of 18 months. His legal team has indicated that an appeal is likely. The case has attracted widespread attention in Norway because of Høiby's close connection to the royal family. Although he holds no royal title, he was raised alongside members of […]
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