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The trial of the son of Norway’s crown princess, on charges that include rape, started on Tuesday, opening weeks of proceedings in a case that has cast a shadow on the royal family’s image.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.
He has been under scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 on various allegations of wrongdoing.
Høiby took his seat at the Oslo district court Tuesday morning for the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19.
He faces 38 counts. They include rape, abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana. Other charges include making death threats and traffic violations.
The latest batch of Epstein files include multiple emails with Sarah Ferguson, the former duchess of York. The documents do not include evidence of anything illegal, but showed her extensive relationship with the convicted sex offender.
Prosecutors have said that Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison, if convicted. Seven alleged victims are expected to testify.
Reflecting international interest in the trial, the judge addressed the court in English, warning that it was prohibited to record or take photographs in the courtroom and advising that some of the testimony of witnesses would be heard behind closed doors.
Høiby’s defence team has said that he “denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence.”
He was free pending trial until Sunday, when police said he was arrested over new allegations of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order.
The Oslo court on Monday granted their request to keep him in detention for up to four weeks on the grounds of a risk of reoffending. Defence lawyer Petar Sekulic said the arrest followed an alleged “incident” involving another person on Sunday.
Shadow on royals’ image
He declined to give details, but said Høiby contests his detention and his legal team was considering an appeal as soon as he and the other person can provide statements to police.
The indictment centers on four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023; and two alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, along with violations of a restraining order.
Høiby’s defence team has said that he “denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence.”
Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit don’t plan to attend the trial and that the royal house doesn’t intend to comment during the proceedings.
King Harald, 88, and the royals are generally popular in Norway, but the Høiby case has been a problem for the family’s image.
And Høiby’s trial is opening just as Mette-Marit faces renewed scrutiny over her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein following the release on Friday of a new batch of documents from the Epstein files. They contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported.
