The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not responsible to rape prices as he went on trial on Tuesday (February 3, 2026) for a number of alleged offences, opening weeks of proceedings in a case that has solid a shadow on the royal household’s picture.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a earlier relationship and the stepson of the inheritor to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.
Mr. Høiby stood whereas prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø learn out the 38 counts in opposition to him within the Oslo district courtroom, asking him if he pleaded responsible. He replied “no” to essentially the most severe prices, together with the 4 counts of rape.
The fees additionally embody abuse in an in depth relationship in opposition to one former accomplice, acts of violence in opposition to one other and transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana. Others embody making loss of life threats and site visitors violations.
Mr. Høiby pleaded responsible to a number of driving offences, to an aggravated medication offence and to breaking a restraining order, and “partly” to threats and aggravated assault. Sporting glasses, a brown sweater and beige trousers, he spoke quietly and conferred frequently with a protection lawyer.
Prosecutors have mentioned that Mr. Høiby might withstand 10 years in jail if convicted within the trial, which is scheduled to final till March 19. Seven accusers are anticipated to testify.
“There’s equality earlier than the legislation,” Mr. Henriksbø informed the courtroom. “The defendant is the son of the crown princess. He’s a part of the royal household. He shall however be handled in the identical manner as another one that is charged with the identical offences.”
The defendant sat between defence attorneys Ellen Holager Andenæs and Petar Sekulic for the start of the trial and moved later to a desk behind them, the place he fiddled with a sequence whereas the prosecutor outlined the allegations.
Worldwide curiosity
Reflecting worldwide curiosity within the trial, Decide Jon Sverdrup Efjestad addressed the courtroom in English, warning that it was prohibited to document or take pictures within the courtroom and advising that some witness testimony can be heard behind closed doorways.
Ms. Andenæs argued that Mr. Høiby’s fame had already colored the case. She mentioned he had confronted a “tsunami of publicity” over an extended interval that had made him “really feel that he’s dropping management of his life,” and that the burden of public scrutiny from 1000’s of newspaper articles had made it troublesome for him to consider he might prevail.
“Like everybody else, he’s harmless till confirmed responsible. The decision might be pronounced on this courtroom and never wherever else,” the defence lawyer informed the courtroom. “It is just you who will resolve this.”
Outdoors the courtroom, Hege Salomon, a lawyer for one of many girls accusing Mr. Høiby of rape, mentioned her consumer wished to stay nameless and was “very scared” that the general public would possibly be taught her identify, including “the media protection provides to the stress, particularly as a result of she’s not a well-known individual.”
Ms. Salomon mentioned her consumer had been contacted by police and determined to testify, “and she or he thinks it is appropriate that … they’ve pressed prices and so forth, but it surely was not her that initiated it.”
The investigation started in 2024. Police had been first known as to an house in Oslo’s upscale Frogner neighbourhood following experiences of a violent incident. Høiby was arrested and later launched, however the case expanded as extra girls got here ahead with allegations.
The indictment prosecutors centres on 4 alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats in opposition to a former accomplice between the summer time of 2022 and the autumn of 2023; and two alleged acts of violence in opposition to a subsequent accomplice, together with violations of a restraining order.
It was expanded in January, when Mr. Høiby was charged with six extra offences, together with possession and supply of huge portions of marijuana and additional restraining order violations.
He was free pending trial till Sunday, when police mentioned he was arrested over new allegations of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order.
Crown Prince Haakon mentioned final week that he and Ms. Mette-Marit don’t plan to attend the trial and that the royal home doesn’t intend to remark throughout the proceedings.
Royal issues
King Harald, 88, and the royals are typically well-liked in Norway, however the Høiby case has been an issue for the household’s picture.
The trial opened at a very delicate second. Ms. Mette-Marit faces renewed scrutiny over her previous contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he confronted intercourse trafficking prices, following the discharge on Friday (January 30, 2026) of a brand new batch of paperwork from the Epstein information.
They contained a number of hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already mentioned in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported. The paperwork, which embody e-mail exchanges, confirmed that Ms. Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Seaside, Florida, for a number of days in 2013. Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that the keep was organized by a mutual good friend, which was later confirmed by the royal family.
Ms. Mette-Marit mentioned in a press release that she “should take duty for not having investigated Epstein’s background extra completely, and for not realising sooner what sort of individual he was.”
She added, “I confirmed poor judgment and remorse having had any contact with Epstein in any respect. It’s merely embarrassing.”
Printed – February 04, 2026 10:31 am IST