An Oslo district court has sentenced Marius Borg Høiby, the stepson of Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, to four years in prison following a seven-week trial on charges of rape, domestic violence, and narcotics offences. According to Antigua News Room, the verdict has dealt a further blow to the Norwegian royal family's public image.
Høiby, 29, became connected to the royal family when his mother, Mette-Marit, married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. The court convicted him on two counts of rape as well as domestic violence against his former partner Nora Haukland and drug-related offences. One of the rapes for which he was convicted took place in the basement of the crown prince's official Skaugum residence. He was acquitted on two additional rape counts, with judges determining there was insufficient evidence to prove those encounters were nonconsensual.
While contesting the rape charges, Høiby had previously pleaded guilty to domestic abuse and to transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana in 2020.
Høiby will appeal the verdict, his lawyer Petar Sekulic confirmed to Norwegian dailies VG and Aftenposten. The prosecution also indicated it would consider an appeal after reviewing the full 127-page judgment.
"This is a victory for our justice system," said prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe. "No one can get away with serious criminal acts based on who they are or who they are related to."
The trial gripped Norway, exposing Høiby's struggles with drug addiction, self-recorded footage of intimate encounters, and a body of evidence comprising more than 800 electronic messages. Høiby, who has been held in custody since February 1, did not appear in court for the reading of the verdict, citing undisclosed medical reasons. Local media reported he followed the proceedings via secure videolink from Oslo Prison.
During the trial, Høiby offered a candid account of his upbringing on the periphery of the throne without an official royal title. "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."
Crown Prince Haakon moved to distance the monarchy from the case, telling reporters that Høiby holds no formal position within the Royal House and is subject to the same legal accountability as any other Norwegian citizen. "He is a citizen of Norway and, as such, has the same responsibilities as everyone else," Haakon said. The royal household declined to comment on the outcome, with a spokesperson stating: "The matter has been considered by the courts, and we have no comment on the outcome."
The Norwegian royal family has long cultivated an image of warmth and accessibility, characteristic of low-key Scandinavian monarchies — sending their children to state schools and mingling with the public on ski slopes and beaches. The trial, however, arriving alongside Crown Princess Mette-Marit's public apology for her contacts with late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has significantly damaged the family's standing in the eyes of the Norwegian public.
