A broken chandelier and a knife buried in a wall haunt Norway’s royal family

The arrest was just the beginning of a complex investigation which, as more alleged victims came forward, would culminate in Mr Høiby being charged with rape, assault, domestic abuse and drug transportation, among other offences.

He denies all of the most serious allegations and has vowed to give his own account of events in court.

On Tuesday, the son of the Crown Princess will stand trial in a courtroom in Oslo, answering to the 38 charges, which include four counts of rape. If found guilty, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 16 years.

Just two days before the trial, Mr Høiby was arrested again on suspicion of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order, after an alleged attack on a former girlfriend.

“Høiby is absolutely taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases – especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence,” his lawyer, Petar Sekulic, has said.

A number of women are expected to provide evidence, but only one has been named by the prosecution, Nora Haukland, Mr Høiby’s ex-girlfriend and a social media influencer.