Key facts
- Marius Borg Høiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, will remain in custody.
- Høiby is involved in a court case related to rape allegations.
- The Crown Princess has a history of friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein.
- Crown Princess Mette-Marit is battling a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis.
- She has been placed on the lung transplant waiting list due to her deteriorating health.
Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, will remain in custody as his court case for alleged rape proceeds. The legal proceedings coincide with significant personal challenges for the royal family, including revelations of the Crown Princess's past three-year friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Høiby, though not a formal member of the royal family, was raised within its sphere. His mother and stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon, visited him in prison. The Crown Princess herself is facing a serious health crisis, having been diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. Her condition has reportedly worsened significantly in recent months, leading to her placement on the lung transplant waiting list, with doctors estimating she may have only a year to live.
In a brief respite from his detention, Høiby was permitted to leave jail to attend a meeting with his mother's doctor at the family's Skaugum estate. Meanwhile, King Harald and Queen Sonja, the reigning monarch and his consort, have largely remained separate from these unfolding crises.