Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been convicted of multiple offenses, including two counts of rape. The Oslo court sentenced Høiby, 29, to four years in prison following a highly-publicized trial. The Norwegian monarchy sought to distance itself from the proceedings.
Høiby was found guilty of raping an unnamed woman at Skaugum, a royal estate near Oslo, in 2018. He was also convicted of raping another woman in Oslo in 2024. Additionally, he faced charges for assaulting his former girlfriend, influencer Nora Haukland. In total, Høiby faced 40 charges and was convicted on 34 of them, including abuse in close relationships.
Despite being acquitted of two rape charges related to incidents in November 2024 at a hotel in Oslo and in Norway’s Lofoten Islands the previous year, Høiby pleaded not guilty to the most serious offenses. He admitted to some lesser charges. The trial lasted six weeks and concluded in March.
Høiby’s defense indicated plans to appeal the verdict, as reported by Norwegian media.
Who Is Marius Borg Høiby?
Marius Borg Høiby is not a working royal but is closely associated with Norway’s royal family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon when Høiby was four, and Haakon has acknowledged him as an important family member. Høiby is the eldest son of Mette-Marit. The royal couple has two younger children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Once popular in Norway with the nickname “little Marius,” public perception of Høiby has shifted over the years. Historian and royal commentator Ole-Jørgen Schulerud-Hansen noted that while he was adored as a child, the public’s view of him has changed.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit herself faced scrutiny earlier in the year after being mentioned in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Although she was not accused of any wrongdoing, she apologized for contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction.
Recently, Mette-Marit was placed on a lung transplant list due to chronic lung disease, leading the royal family to reduce public engagements. Appeals courts ruled that Høiby would not be permitted to visit his mother before the verdict.
Public support for Norway’s royal family dropped to 60% during Høiby’s trial, although it slightly improved last month according to Reuters. The royal court chose not to comment on the trial’s outcome.
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe described the judgment as a “victory for our justice system.” He emphasized that serious criminal acts cannot be excused based on one’s identity or connections.
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