Marius Borg Høiby to Receive Verdict in Rape Trial as Crown Princess Mette-Marit Faces Grave Illness

On Monday, three judges at Oslo District Court will deliver their verdict in the case of Marius Borg Høiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. Høiby, 29, will appear via video link from custody due to unspecified health reasons. He faces 40 charges, including four counts of rape, which he denies, though he admits to lesser drug and traffic offences.

Prosecutors have recommended a sentence of seven years and seven months, while his defence counsel argues for an 18-month term. Høiby has been in custody since early February, detained on suspicion of assault and violating a restraining order related to an ex-girlfriend. Repeated attempts to secure his release have been unsuccessful.

The verdict coincides with a period of severe personal difficulty for the Norwegian royal family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit's health has deteriorated significantly, leading to her placement on a lung transplant list. Medical professionals indicate that such a listing typically implies a prognosis of approximately one year to live. An appeal for Høiby to be released to be with his mother was rejected last week. The Crown Princess has curtailed public engagements and now uses a nasal tube for breathing, reportedly halting their silver wedding anniversary celebrations in August.

The trial itself has brought further scrutiny upon the royal household, particularly concerning revelations of Crown Princess Mette-Marit's three-year association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014. Despite her statement that she was unaware of his criminal history, public and media questions persist regarding the royal family's reputation. Professor Peggy Simcic Brønn, a specialist in reputation and public relations, described the situation as an “institutional crisis” and a “huge crisis of trust.”

While Høiby was never a formal member of the royal family, his close association casts a shadow over the institution. Crown Prince Haakon has attempted to balance support for his stepson with acknowledgement for the women who gave evidence. The court granted anonymity to the four women alleging rape, though a former girlfriend, influencer Nora Haukland, was identifiable. Høiby denies charges of abusing, hitting, and choking Haukland.

Prosecutors allege the four rapes occurred while the women were asleep or incapacitated after consensual sex, with intercourse involved in one instance. They seek three years for one rape charge and two years each for the others, noting that Norwegian sentences do not run consecutively. Høiby has partly admitted to serious bodily harm and abuse against one woman, known as the “Frogner woman,” but denies “sexually offensive filming.” He admits to trafficking 3.5kg of marijuana, driving offences, and one count of breaking a restraining order. He was recently transferred to Ila prison outside Oslo.

The verdict marks the conclusion of a legal process that began with Høiby’s initial arrest in August 2024. However, it does little to address the wider institutional challenges facing the Norwegian monarchy, particularly given the Crown Princess’s grave health and the ongoing questions surrounding the family's public image.