Norway: The Royal Son’s Downfall: Høiby Faces Prison

It was the final act, for now, in a months-long drama the likes of which Norway has rarely seen. The court’s verdict will be announced at 8:30 a.m. Four years in prison for Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

A member of the royal family, a convicted criminal. Under Norwegian law, even a rapist. The court found him guilty of two counts of rape—in which he penetrated the women with his finger. The court acquitted him of the most serious charge, rape involving penetration with the penis, as well as a fourth rape charge. He was convicted on a total of 34 counts.

How Høiby reacts to the verdict remains unknown to the public. For at the very moment that decides his future, he is not in Courtroom 250 of the Oslo District Court, where his trial has been ongoing for many weeks. For health reasons, he is reportedly following the proceedings via video link from prison. He will remain there for a long time, if the judges have their way. The verdict is not yet final. Høiby has two weeks to decide whether he wants to appeal.

But it is already a shock, not only for him but also for the Norwegian royal family. The court declined to comment on the verdict against Crown Prince Haakon’s foster son when asked. It comes at the worst possible time. Høiby’s mother, Mette-Marit, is suffering from a serious lung condition, and according to the Norwegian royal court, her condition has recently deteriorated dramatically. So much so that she is now on the waiting list for a lung transplant. The drama surrounding her son is an additional burden for her.

Drama surrounding Mette-Marit: Høiby wants to be with his ailing mother

The entire family is currently rallying around Mette-Marit. Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, the daughter of the Crown Prince and Princess, has interrupted her studies in Sydney and returned home. Crown Prince Haakon is canceling appointments. Shortly after Monday’s verdict, Høiby reportedly applied once again for release from pretrial detention so he could be with his sick mother, according to Norwegian media.

He had recently said that being able to see her only once a week in prison was unbearable, because every time could be the last. Just under two weeks ago, he had unsuccessfully tried to get released for this reason.

The judges in the appeals court showed him little sympathy at the time. After all, they reasoned, he was no worse off than others in his situation. Furthermore, they saw a risk of reoffending: Høiby had already violated a restraining order against an ex-girlfriend multiple times in the past. This had also led to him being held in pretrial detention since the start of his trial in early February.

Snapped while intoxicated, destroyed furniture, beat ex-girlfriend

Twenty of the original 40 charges related to his relationship with the woman whom Norwegian media refer to as the “Frogner” woman, after the Oslo neighborhood where she lived. According to reports, Høiby has now been convicted on nearly all of these charges. He admitted to losing his temper while intoxicated, destroying furniture, and becoming violent toward the woman. He also admitted to several violations of restraining orders.

However, Høiby had consistently denied the rapes. The case involved four incidents with four women, almost all one-night stands, in which he had previously had consensual sex with the women. But then, according to the indictment, he is alleged to have sexually abused them while they were asleep and filmed the acts.

Acquittal in two rape cases

One of the rape cases in which the judges found Høiby guilty took place at the residence of the Crown Prince’s family. “Video footage was presented in the case. The recordings show sexual acts and penetration with a finger,” the presiding judge said, according to the newspaper “Verdens Gang.” “The victim lies completely still; no sounds can be heard.”

Therefore, the court considers it proven that she was asleep during the recording. He was also convicted for a similar incident in the apartment of a woman Høiby had met at a party.

However, the judges did not consider it proven that he had raped an acquaintance during a surfing vacation in the Lofoten Islands. “The court has concluded that there is reasonable doubt,” the newspaper “Verdens Gang” quoted the presiding judge as saying. It was the only case in which, according to the indictment, Høiby is alleged to have penetrated a woman’s vagina with his penis while she was asleep.

In another case, in which Høiby was alleged to have raped a woman in a hotel in Oslo under Norwegian law, he was reportedly also acquitted. However, as in other cases, he was convicted of filming the woman without her knowledge.

In addition, the court found it proven that the Norwegian man had abused another ex-girlfriend—an influencer—during their relationship. “There are several acts of violence,” the presiding judge said, according to “Verdens Gang.” “But the focus is particularly on psychological abuse.” Traffic offenses as well as the transport of 3.5 kilograms of marijuana also contributed to the length of the sentence.

Will Høiby appeal? That is not yet clear

Neither the prosecution nor the defense is likely to be satisfied with the verdict. The prosecution had found Høiby guilty on 39 counts and sought a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison. Høiby’s defense attorneys, on the other hand, had argued for a sentence of one and a half years in prison for their client.

Hundreds of text messages and witness testimonies in the marathon trial documented a life marked by jealousy, violence, infidelity, wild parties, and drug use. Intimate details about Høiby’s sexual preferences and his toxic relationships with his ex-girlfriends were just as much a focus of the trial as the Norwegian’s upbringing in the public eye.

Since early childhood: Høiby feels persecuted by the press

In tears, Høiby had accused the press of hounding him since his early childhood. He had described himself as a “monster” in the public eye and “the object of hatred for all of Norway.” Høiby was still a toddler when his mother, Mette-Marit, met the Norwegian Crown Prince. At first, all of Norway was enchanted by Haakon’s fair-haired foster son. But as a young adult, Høiby went astray, struggling with drug addiction and mental health issues.

In August 2024, police arrested him for the first time following an incident at the “Frogner” woman’s apartment. As the investigation progressed, more and more allegations came to light. Shortly before the trial, the police arrested Høiby again. Whether the 29-year-old remains in pretrial detention until he begins serving his sentence now depends on whether Høiby’s new application for release is successful. The reason this time, as last time: his wish to be with his seriously ill mother.