Key facts
- Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, faces a verdict on 40 charges, including rape, assault, and drug offenses.
- Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of over seven years in prison.
- Høiby denies the most serious charges but admits to some lesser offenses.
- Høiby has been in custody since February and will appear via video link for the verdict due to health reasons.
- The case has intensified scrutiny on the Norwegian royal family, particularly amid Crown Princess Mette-Marit's serious health condition.
Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is awaiting a verdict on 40 charges, including four counts of rape, assault, and drug offenses. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of seven years and seven months in jail, while his defense lawyers are requesting a year and a half. Høiby denies the most serious charges but admits to some lesser offenses.
Høiby has been in custody since early February and will appear via video link for the verdict due to unspecified health reasons. His mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is seriously ill and on a lung transplant list, a situation that has seen Crown Prince Haakon curtail his public engagements. The family's turmoil has drawn significant public sympathy, a stark contrast to the initial anger surrounding revelations of the Crown Princess's past friendship with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The trial has also put a spotlight on the Norwegian royal family's future, with commentators describing it as an institutional crisis. Høiby, though not a formal member of the royal family, grew up alongside his royal siblings. The court banned photos of the defendant and the alleged victims, but a former girlfriend and influencer, Nora Haukland, was identifiable and her testimony garnered significant media attention.
Prosecutors allege the rapes occurred when the women were asleep or incapacitated. Høiby also faces charges related to drug trafficking, driving offenses, and filming women without consent, which he denies. The verdict is expected to bring an end to a case that began with his arrest in August 2024, but the broader challenges facing the royal family are expected to persist.