Oslo court delivers verdict in rape trial of Norwegian crown princess's son Marius Borg Høiby
An Oslo court is handing down its judgment this morning in the trial of Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette‑Marit, on 40 charges including rape, violence and drug offences.
The defendant
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette‑Marit from a previous relationship. He grew up as the step‑son of Crown Prince Haakon and is a member of the royal family but has no official role. Høiby has publicly discussed his struggles with drug addiction and mental health, and before the trial he had no regular employment.
The charges
The indictment lists 40 counts, with the prosecution seeking convictions on 39 of them. The most serious allegations are four rapes under Norwegian law: Høiby is accused of assaulting women while they slept, in some cases filming the acts. Two ex‑girlfriends have also accused him of domestic violence, and he faces additional charges of making threats, violating a restraining order, drug offences and traffic violations.
I remember waking up and feeling a small shock. After that I was like paralysed.
Høiby denied the rape charges, insisting the sex was consensual. He did, however, admit to other offences, including a violent episode under the influence of alcohol and cocaine against a former girlfriend, and destroying property in her flat.
I had an extremely high need for recognition. My whole life long. And that translated into a lot of sex, a lot of drugs and a lot of alcohol.
The trial and today's verdict
The trial ran for seven weeks from early February to mid‑March 2026. Høiby was taken into pre‑trial detention shortly before it began after breaching a no‑contact order with an ex‑girlfriend. During proceedings he tearfully accused the media of pursuing him since childhood and repeatedly tried to secure release, citing his mother’s worsening health, but the court refused. The Oslo court begins delivering its verdict at 08:30 today. The judges are expected to take one to one‑and‑a‑half hours to summarise the ruling, after which the written judgment will be handed to the press. Høiby will follow the session via video link from prison for health reasons.
Royal family under strain
The case has landed at a particularly difficult moment for the Norwegian monarchy. Crown Princess Mette‑Marit is seriously ill and needs a new lung, and she has faced months of criticism over her friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Neither she nor Crown Prince Haakon attended the trial, though they visited Høiby in prison regularly. The verdict brings further pressure to a family already grappling with private crises and public scrutiny.
