The Son of Norway’s Crown Princess Has Been Convicted of Rape

On Monday, a Norwegian court found Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s crown princess, Mette-Marit, guilty of rape and domestic violence. In addition to facing a four-year prison sentence, Høiby, who is 29, was also ordered to pay punitive damages amounting to a total of 640,000 kroner — about $67,000 — to his four victims.

The case gripped Norway and much of Europe owing to Høiby’s relationship with the royal family and the scope of the charges against him. He became the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon at age 4 when his mother married the heir apparent in 2001. Because he’s not related by blood, he holds no royal titles or succession rights.

Police began investigating Høiby in August 2024 after responding to a disturbance in Oslo and finding that he had attacked an ex-girlfriend. He admitted to the assault and apologized, saying he was under the influence of drugs during an argument. Authorities continued their inquiry as more victims came forward, leading to another arrest in November 2024 on suspicion of rape. Høiby was indicted in August 2025 in connection to four alleged rapes between 2018 and 2024. In addition to the rape charges, he was also indicted for making death threats, violating a restraining order, vandalism, and driving without a license, among other charges.

At the beginning of the trial in February, Høiby pleaded guilty to some of the lesser counts but denied the most serious accusations against him. On Monday, a three-judge court found him guilty of 34 charges, including two counts of rape, abuse in close relationships, physical assault, and three counts of violating a restraining order. Høiby was also acquitted on two other counts of rape. His legal team immediately appealed the verdict.

The conviction comes at a challenging time for the Norwegian royal family. Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has faced backlash for her yearslong friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. (She has since said that she regrets ever being in contact with him.) The princess, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis seven years ago, is on a waiting list for a double lung transplant and has stepped away from her royal duties.

Høiby, who was taken into custody before the trial began, petitioned a court earlier this month to release him so he could spend time with the crown princess as she awaits the transplant. An Oslo district court granted him compassionate leave, but the Court of Appeal overturned the decision. “This is not a question of will, but a question of ability, lifestyle, and risk factors,” the ruling said.

Attorneys for one of Høiby’s victims — whom he was found guilty of raping in the basement of the crown prince and princess’s home at their Skaugum estate in December 2018 — told The Guardian she had been “unwillingly drawn into this case” but was satisfied with the guilty verdict. They added, “She now hopes this marks the final conclusion and that Høiby will receive the help he needs so that this does not happen to anyone else.”

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sexual assault

norway

princess mette-marit of norway

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