Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, received a four-year prison sentence from an Oslo court. Høiby faced several accusations, including two counts of rape, one of which occurred at Skaugum, a royal estate near Oslo, in 2018. Another incident involved a different woman in Oslo in 2024.
The court also found Høiby guilty of other crimes. These include assaulting his former girlfriend, the Norwegian influencer Nora Haukland. In total, he faced 40 charges and was convicted of 34 of them, including abuse in close relationships.
“Everyone adored the blonde, blue-eyed charmer on the palace balcony in 2001, but his part to play has always been hard to discern,” said Ole-Jørgen Schulerud-Hansen, a historian and royal commentator.
However, Høiby was acquitted of two counts of rape involving a woman at a hotel in Oslo in November 2024 and another woman in Norway’s Lofoten islands the previous year. Despite pleading not guilty to the most severe charges, he admitted to some minor ones. After a six-week trial concluding in March, his defense announced plans to appeal the verdict.
Who Is Marius Borg Høiby?
Although not an active member of the royal family, Høiby has strong ties to the monarchy. Crown Prince Haakon married his mother when Høiby was four, and Haakon referred to him as “an important member” of their family. Høiby is Mette-Marit’s eldest son, and she has two other children with Haakon: Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Over time, public opinion of Høiby changed. Initially, he was favored in Norway and earned the nickname “little Marius.” Despite this, recent events shifted the perception of the crown prince’s stepson.
Family and Public Reaction
Mette-Marit, implicated in controversies earlier this year, faced scrutiny due to her links with Jeffrey Epstein. She has denied any misconduct and apologized for her past interactions with the convicted financier. Mette-Marit, who awaits a lung transplant due to chronic lung disease, has seen the royal family’s public roles decrease.
Due to ongoing court proceedings, an appeals court ruled that Høiby could not leave detention to visit his mother. During his trial, support for Norway’s royals dropped to a record low of 60 percent but slightly rebounded the following month.
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe commented on the case, emphasizing that the decision is proof of the justice system’s fairness. “No one can get away with serious criminal acts based on who they are or who they are related to,” he noted.