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Marius Borg Høiby is in trouble with the law.
Archive picture. IMAGO/NTB ROY
The eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Marius Borg Høiby, is on trial in Norway on serious charges: he has been indicted on 32 counts, including four counts of rape - the trial is scheduled to begin in early 2026.
It was announced on Monday, August 18: Marius Borg Høiby (28), the eldest son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, will be charged. This was announced by the responsible public prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø in Oslo. It concerns 32 offenses, including four rapes.
In the evening, the royal family responded to the charges with a short statement: "It is up to the courts to deal with this case and come to a decision," the public broadcaster NRK quoted.
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On Tuesday, Crown Prince Haakon (52) made his first public statement on the charges against his stepson: he opened the "Aqua Nor 2025" trade fair in Trondheim at 11:30 a.m. and made his first appearance in front of the press after the charges were announced the day before.
He said: "Now we have clarified what the charges are and now the legal process continues. Now the court will decide," "Se og Hør" quotes him as saying.
"We are continuing our tasks as best we can, in the best possible way. Everyone involved in this case finds it challenging and difficult," he replied when asked how the family is dealing with the situation.
"As far as the actual case is concerned, there are others who can respond better," he concluded.
On Wednesday, Marius commented on the accusations for the first time. His defense lawyer Petar Sekulic told NRK: "This is a very serious charge. He sees it that way himself. He will now cooperate as before and make his statement in order to clarify the case in the best possible way."
According to his lawyers, Høiby admits to some incidents, such as the violence against his ex-partner. However, he denies most of the allegations.
"Otherwise, however, he more or less denies his guilt on all other counts," says his second defense lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenæs.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the public prosecutor's office currently sees no reason for pre-trial detention. Prosecutor Henriksbø told NRK: "The conditions for arresting and detaining Høiby do not exist. It is not current to arrest him as long as no new circumstances arise that make this necessary."
Marius and Haakon have always had a close relationship. Marius was only three years old when his mother moved to Ullevålsveien with the Norwegian crown prince. He has been part of the Crown Prince's family ever since.
The Crown Prince has never hesitated to present his stepson in a positive light. He even spoke about Marius in his wedding speech: "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to live with Marius. This is a gift for me," said a newly married and visibly grateful Haakon to Mette-Marit at the time.
When the "Marius case" became public in August last year, Haakon spoke on behalf of the royal family. "We are very close. That's why we knew about what Marius told us and also about some of these difficulties. But I don't want to go into the details," Haakon told NRK.
The day after the charges against Marius were announced, it was Mette-Marit's birthday. On the official Instagram account of the Norwegian royal family, only a short congratulations appeared: "Happy birthday to Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is celebrating her birthday today!"
The trial against Marius Borg Høiby is scheduled to begin in early 2026. The maximum sentence is ten years in prison.
