Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape and a string of other offences in a case that has shaken the monarchy.
The 29-year-old, who is not a working member of the Norwegian royal family, was convicted by the Oslo District Court on Monday following a seven-week trial that laid bare years of alleged violence, substance abuse and troubling behaviour.
CNN reported that prosecutors introduced self-made videos of sexual encounters and more than 800 electronic messages as evidence during the proceedings.
Høiby, whose mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001 when he was four, faced 40 charges carrying a maximum sentence of 16 years’ imprisonment. He was ultimately convicted of 34 offences, including two counts of rape, repeated domestic abuse against ex-girlfriend Nora Haukland, making threats, traffic violations and drug offences. He was acquitted of two other rape charges.
One of the rape convictions related to an incident that took place in 2018 at the official residence of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad said the court found it had been proven that the victim “was not able to resist the action.”
The prosecution had sought a sentence of seven years and seven months, while Høiby’s defence team argued he should serve 18 months for the offences to which he had admitted guilt. Høiby, who has been in custody since February, followed the reading of the verdict via video link from prison and was not physically present in court.
The trial heard that the rape allegations stemmed from incidents between 2018 and 2024, often following nights involving heavy alcohol and drug use.
A key aspect of the case was that the women themselves had not initially filed rape complaints. Instead, police investigating an alleged assault on Høiby’s then-girlfriend in August 2024 discovered videos on his electronic devices that they said depicted the assaults. Authorities subsequently contacted the women involved, who were reportedly unaware of what had occurred.
During the proceedings, Høiby spoke candidly about his struggles with addiction and growing up in the public eye.
“I’m mostly known as my mother’s son, not anything else,” he told the court. “So I’ve had an extreme need for recognition my whole life. And that manifested itself in a lot of sex, a lot of drugs, and a lot of alcohol.”
The case has dealt a significant blow to Norway’s royal family, long regarded as one of Europe’s most popular monarchies. Public support for the institution fell during the trial, which also coincided with renewed scrutiny of Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Høiby’s father, Morten Borg, who was previously in a relationship with Mette-Marit, is also a convicted felon. Arrested in 1991 for drug possession, he later served prison sentences for offences involving violence, drugs and driving under the influence of alcohol.
However, those incidents now appear to be behind him, with Borg reportedly working as a businessman and financial analyst.
For many Norwegians, however, the outcome of Høiby’s case represents something else entirely. “I think this verdict is a victory for our justice system,” prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo said outside court. “It shows that no one is beyond the law, despite who you are and who you are related to.”
