(CN) — Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was sentenced to four years in prison Monday after Norway’s Oslo District Court found him guilty of all but four of 40 charges, including two counts of rape, along with domestic abuse, violating restraining orders and drug charges, among other offenses.
The 29-year-old was acquitted on two other counts of rape.
Mette-Marit is poised to one day become queen of Norway. Høiby is her son from a relationship before she married Crown Prince Haakon and does not hold any official titles.
The prosecutor had urged prison time of seven years and seven months, while Høiby’s defense wanted to settle for 18 months. The defendant pleaded not guilty to most charges, except those involving drugs and violations of restraining orders.
“Any reasonable doubt must be given to the accused. The court’s consideration is based on the indictment. If there is a realistic possibility that he is innocent, he should be acquitted,” said Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad as he read some of the 128-page sentence that demanded close to two hours to go through.
Høiby was absent from court, watching the proceedings via video link from prison because of unknown health concerns. His earlier plea to serve detention outside prison was denied, along with his request for leave to visit his chronically sick mother.
Høiby had been charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.
The six-week trial concluded in March after testimony from multiple accusers and presentation of evidence, including messages, images and videos from Høiby’s cellphone.
In a written comment to Courthouse News, the Royal House said “the case has been handled by the court, and the Royal House has no comment on the verdict.”
The sentence comes after a turbulent time for the Royal House, including most recently a flare-up of Mette-Marit’s chronic lung disease, which has reached a critical level in the past weeks.
The crown princess has suffered from pulmonary fibrosis since 2018, causing permanent scarring of her lung tissue. Mette-Marit is waiting for a lung donor to undergo a transplant, as she struggles to breathe, limiting her oxygen supply.
The royal has already withdrawn from several duties due to sick leave. Her friendship with the U.S.-convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein also put Mette-Marit in the Norwegian spotlight shortly before the start of her son’s trial in February.
While the Norwegian Royal House had already told the public about the crown princess’ connection with the late U.S. millionaire, who committed suicide while in custody awaiting a federal trial, the latest Epstein files release exposed contradictions to some of her earlier statements about their relationship, which was more extensive than first believed.
Other members of Norway’s Royal House also have Norwegians shaking their heads. A 2025 Netflix documentary showed the U.S. self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett, married to Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise, hinting that Norway’s beloved king and queen were racially biased. He said he, a Black man, struggled to find his role in the royal family.
A poll released then by public broadcaster NRK showed 71% of people supported stripping Louise of her royal title.
Public backing for the monarchy does not look much better in recent polls. Asked in May this year, 64% said they support the monarchy, while 23% longed for a new system of government.
Zooming in on the Norwegian youth, the numbers look more sinister for the royal institution, which serves a largely ceremonial role, as the prime minister sets the direction for Norway. Just 51% of respondents from 18-29 support continuing the monarchy after the current King Harald’s death.
The king and his son, Crown Prince Haakon, are generally beloved figures among Norwegians. At the king’s 80th birthday in 2017, the monarchy enjoyed 81% support.
Despite efforts to separate Høiby from the Norwegian Royal House, not linking his case to the royal image is near impossible, said Jannek K. Sommer, lecturer with a specialty in royal branding at the University of Southern Denmark, in an email to Courthouse News.
“It is very difficult to separate the two, and the royal family has not been particularly successful in distancing itself from the turmoil surrounding Marius’ legal case. Clearly, an early decision was made to put family first and the monarchy second. Admirable in many ways, perhaps — but not without inevitable costs to the royal household’s public image,” he said.
Long-term, Sommer said that the family’s brand would likely suffer more damage than the monarchy itself, posing a major challenge for the coming king, Haakon, to regain public trust, who might stand alone in the mission as his wife remains in turmoil.
“It’s important to remember that Norwegians have a deep affection for their royal house — and that is precisely why they have a chance to gradually repair their image over time through consistent and effective storytelling,” said Sommer.
Høiby’s defense attorneys have said their client is appealing the verdict, maintaining his not-guilty stance on the majority of charges.
Courthouse News reporter Lasse Sørensen is based in Denmark.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.courthousenews.com ’
