Norwegian rape trial rocks the royal family and grips the public

On the night the son of Norway’s crown princess beat his ex-girlfriend while high on cocaine and drunk, he knew police had been watching him.

Officers had privately warned Marius Borg Høiby about his lifestyle choices in September 2023. He was arrested on Sunday, August 4, 2024.

In the early hours of that morning police had been called to an apartment in the upmarket Oslo suburb of Frogner.

They walked into the aftermath of a chaotic attack. Across the apartment were the shattered remains of a chandelier, the victim’s broken phone and a knife stabbed into the wall.

Mr Høiby’s ex-girlfriend was taken to hospital with head injuries.

Soon other women came forward, setting the stage for an unprecedented legal case that begins this week.

On Tuesday the stepson of Norway’s future King will stand trial on rape, drug and abuse charges. If he is convicted Mr Høiby faces up to 10 years in prison.

The case has captivated the nation.

“The Norwegian royal family is, as every other royal family, the epicentre of society,” royal historian and commentator Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen told the ABC.

The family has had a rough few years — from chronic illness to renounced titles and connections with Jeffrey Epstein being made public.

Then there is Mr Høiby’s rape trial. It has been described by local media outlets as “the most serious strain” the royals have faced.

But Mr Schulsrud-Hansen does not believe it is an existential threat.

“I think that the monarchy has been successful in the way of portraying this trial as not a trial of the monarchy,” he said.

“It is a trial against Marius Borger Høiby as a private person.”

That is because the crown princess’ son has never really been a royal.

Høiby struggled ‘for a long time with substance abuse’

Mr Høiby was born in 1997, two years before his mother Mette-Marit met Crown Prince Haakon at a music festival.

The couple was married in 2001 and the crown prince brought Mr Høiby up as his own son.

His mother became Crown Princess Mette-Marit, but unlike his two younger half siblings Mr Høiby does not have a royal title and is not in the line of succession.

“He’s had all the privileges but not really any demands other than act as a normal citizen,” Mr Schulsrud-Hansen said.

This week’s trial promises to be anything but normal.

While he denies most of the allegations, Mr Høiby has admitted to the assault in August 2024.

In a statement to Norway’s public broadcaster 10 days after his arrest Mr Høiby said he acted “under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument” and after struggling “for a long time with substance abuse”.

To make matters worse a new book connects his substance abuse — and well documented love of partying — to Norway’s underworld.

White Lines, Black Sheep claims Mr Høiby personally sold cocaine on the streets of Oslo and bought drugs from an organised crime group with links to Iran.

Mr Høiby has denied the allegations. 

The book’s co-author, investigative crime reporter Torgeir Krokfjord, told the ABC he had initially been concerned about the reaction from prominent criminals mentioned in the book.

“Instead it was the police, the Royal Palace, and Marius’ lawyers who came after us,” Mr Krokfjord said.

Their legal challenge was unsuccessful. Mr Høiby’s will now have to answer to some of those accusations in court.

In a trial expected to last seven weeks Mr Høiby faces 38 charges including rape, a threat to kill, vandalism, drug transportation and violation of restraining orders.

The four rapes allegedly took place in 2018, 2023 and 2024.

Three of Mr Høiby’s alleged victims have high profiles in Norway — model Juliane Snekkestad, influencer Nora Haukland, and pop singer Linni Meister.

The crown prince and princess will not attend the trial. In a rare statement, Crown Prince Haakon expressed sympathy for the alleged victims and trust in the legal system.

“Marius Borg Høiby is not a member of the Royal House of Norway and is therefore autonomous,” the prince said.

“We care about him, and he is an important member of our family.”

Norway’s King Harald also spoke about the allegations last year saying “it is in the hands of the court” and “we will take what comes”.

Mr Høiby’s sister Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who is studying at Sydney University, also commented on the case in an interview with Norway’s public broadcaster NRK.

“Of course it’s difficult,” she said. “Both for those of us who are around, for me as a sister and for mum and dad. And of course for everyone affected by the case.”

Mixed feelings about Norway’s royals

Norway’s royals have been at the centre of several scandals in the past few years.

In 2017 Crown Princess Mette-Marit defended her son’s famous partying in an open letter to the media, asking for him to be left alone.

Two years later she was forced to apologise for several meetings with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 to 2013.

Amid those scandals the crown princess was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, and her condition has worsened to the point she is now in need of a lung transplant.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Haakon’s sister Princess Martha Louise renounced her titles to marry an American.

The couple has recently released a Netflix documentary about their divisive lifestyle — the princess’s new husband describes himself as a shaman.

But the family’s popularity has somewhat recovered.

“It seems like this is just a parenthesis in the history of the Norwegian royal family,” Mr Schulsrud-Hansen said.

“It all went downhill and then they carried themselves back up. It’s like maybe Sisyphus pushing that rock, it rolls down and well, let’s push again.”

A spokesperson for Norge som Republik, Chris A Winger, told the ABC their republican movement had seen an increase in interest but it was not “that significant at the moment”.

“We hope that this trial will raise some more awareness,” Mr Winger added.

It could also lead to some awkward revelations for the crown prince and princess.

There have been questions about what they knew about Mr Høiby, and when.

No matter what happens during the trial Mr Schulsrud-Hansen believes Mr Høiby will have to live a quieter life in the future. 

He points to the private approach King Charles’ stepchildren have taken in the UK.

“They are there but not in the limelight. Even during the coronation of their mother they were on the seventh line in the abbey, not in front, or not in view of the press,” Mr Schulsrud-Hansen said.

“Now he’s out, keep him out.”