{"id":2259751,"date":"2026-01-31T14:15:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2259751"},"modified":"2026-01-31T14:15:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:15:40","slug":"norways-scandal-hit-royals-the-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/norways-scandal-hit-royals-the-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Norway\u2019s scandal-hit royals | The Week"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"e4d16a91-3b5d-4966-87db-1849f496cc80\">The upcoming trial of the son of Norway\u2019s crown princess has rocked the already beleaguered royal family.<\/p>\n<p>Marius Borg H\u00f8iby, stepson of the Crown Prince (and future king) Haakon, is facing charges including the alleged rape of four women, abuse of two women, and threat to kill a man. His lawyer says H\u00f8iby \u201cdenies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence\u201d. If convicted, the 29-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"e4d16a91-3b5d-4966-87db-1849f496cc80-2\">The trial, much of which will be open to the public, begins in Oslo on Tuesday. The \u201cextraordinary\u201d case adds to the \u201calready considerable woes of the Norwegian royal house\u201d, said <a target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/world\/europe\/article\/norway-royal-family-rape-trial-marius-borg-hoiby-k6x9sq8nw\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/world\/europe\/article\/norway-royal-family-rape-trial-marius-borg-hoiby-k6x9sq8nw\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">The Sunday Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"blueconic-article-theweek\">\n<div class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper__top\">\n<div class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper__top__left-div\">\n<h2><span class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper__top__left-div-title\">The Week<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/subscribe.theweek.com\/servlet\/OrdersGateway?cds_mag_code=TWE&amp;cds_page_id=275740&amp;cds_response_key=I4BRBKSW1&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=theweek.com&amp;utm_campaign=wku-all-digital_referral-202401-sub-none-fbk24&amp;utm_content=us-in-article\" target=\"__blank\"><\/p>\n<p>\nSUBSCRIBE &amp; SAVE\n<\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper__bottom\">\n<div class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper__bottom__left-div\">\n<h2>Sign up for The Week&#8217;s Free Newsletters<\/h2>\n<p class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper__bottom__left-div-text-desktop\">From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n<p class=\"blueconic-article__wrapper__bottom__left-div-text-mobile\">From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-273c2814-087d-42c1-8a8b-fddb469512cc\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"horrific-attack-3\">\u2018Horrific\u2019 attack<\/h2>\n<p id=\"8867eab2-563d-4479-ad47-79ef3494a7be\">Crown Princess Mette-Marit, a single mother from a non-aristocratic background, married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. Her son H\u00f8iby, whose father was in prison for drug offences at the time of his birth, was four when his mother married the heir to the throne. H\u00f8iby was raised as part of the royal family but without any claim to the throne.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2024, police were called to a flat in an \u201cupmarket district of western Oslo\u201d over a case of suspected domestic violence. They found \u201ca knife embedded in the wall and the chandelier shattered into fragments\u201d. The victim said she had been hit, pinned to the bed and \u201crepeatedly choked so that she could not breathe\u201d, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ferocity of the attack, thought to have been the culmination of months of abuse, made it especially horrific,\u201d said The Sunday Times. \u201cBut it shocked Norwegians for another reason\u201d \u2013 the alleged perpetrator was H\u00f8iby; the victim his then girlfriend.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, he said he had acted \u201cunder the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument\u201d, having suffered from &#8220;mental troubles\u201d and been struggling \u201cfor a long time with substance abuse\u201d.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-MTgmxYfJhoRkVY5qAVXnqF\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-MTgmxYfJhoRkVY5qAVXnqF slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day \u2013 and the best features from TheWeek.com<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Another ex-girlfriend claimed that she had also been abused \u201cphysically and psychologically\u201d \u2013 claims \u201cechoed by H\u00f8iby\u2019s next partner\u201d. \u201cEven more serious\u201d revelations followed H\u00f8iby\u2019s second arrest in September that year, and third in November.<\/p>\n<p>H\u00f8iby was charged last August with 32 offences; this week, the public prosecutor\u2019s office added six more. The \u201cmost serious\u201d of the new charges occurred in 2020, said <a target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/marius-borg-hoiby-new-charges-sexual-assaut-trial-princess-mette-marit?srsltid=AfmBOooj1CVCQwUOw8zSpUT1NkXuP409n0yxH1MWTxnC8DJxGmR0giqW\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/marius-borg-hoiby-new-charges-sexual-assaut-trial-princess-mette-marit?srsltid=AfmBOooj1CVCQwUOw8zSpUT1NkXuP409n0yxH1MWTxnC8DJxGmR0giqW\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">Vanity Fair<\/a>. H\u00f8iby is \u201csaid to have received and transported at least 3.5kg of marijuana\u201d to a location an hour and a half away by car. H\u00f8iby, \u201conce seen as a symbol of the openness of the monarchy, has acknowledged those allegations as true\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-66d465c8-995d-4c57-a133-60184b9deccb\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"tarnished-reputation-3\">Tarnished reputation<\/h2>\n<p id=\"bda02563-8373-4574-9ff1-85f8e278fd28\">The case is just \u201cone of the challenges\u201d facing <a target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/theweek.com\/tag\/norway\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-url=\"https:\/\/theweek.com\/tag\/norway\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/theweek.com\/tag\/norway\">Norway<\/a>\u2019s royals. Harald V, who has been king since 1991, is 88 and \u201cin delicate health\u201d. Last month, the royal palace announced that Mette-Marit will probably need a lung transplant after \u201cyears of chronic illness\u201d that forced her to withdraw from royal duties.<\/p>\n<p>And just weeks after H\u00f8iby\u2019s first arrest, the king\u2019s eldest daughter, Princess M\u00e4rtha Louise \u2013 whose \u201cmoney-making antics have been a constant source of embarrassment\u201d \u2013 married Durek Verrett, \u201can American conspiracy theorist and self-professed shaman\u201d, said The Sunday Times.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, a Netflix documentary about the couple \u201cpremiered to immediate controversy in Norway\u201d, said <a target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/royalcentral.co.uk\/europe\/norway-royals-2025-216239\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/royalcentral.co.uk\/europe\/norway-royals-2025-216239\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">Royal Central<\/a>. The royal family was \u201crocked by the revelations\u201d in \u201cRebel Royals: an Unlikely Love Story\u201d, which, among other things, \u201cestablished that the couple had broken their agreement with the royal family to not use their titles in connection with business ventures\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Membership of the republican association Norge som republikk has \u201cmore than tripled in the last two years\u201d, according to its leader Craig Aaen-Stockdale, said <a target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jan\/01\/more-women-reporting-abuse-norway-since-royal-family-member-allegations-trial\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jan\/01\/more-women-reporting-abuse-norway-since-royal-family-member-allegations-trial\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">The Guardian<\/a>. The royal family \u201chas traditionally seen high levels of support\u201d, he said. They were \u201cviewed as a relatively harmless bunch\u201d. But many Norwegians \u201care now reconsidering their position\u201d. The \u201congoing omniscandal\u201d has \u201creally tarnished the reputation of the younger royals\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source theweek.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The upcoming trial of the son of Norway\u2019s crown princess has rocked the already beleaguered royal family. Marius Borg H\u00f8iby, stepson of the Crown Prince (and future king) Haakon, is facing charges including the alleged rape of four women, abuse of two women, and threat to kill a man. His lawyer says H\u00f8iby \u201cdenies all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2259752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2259751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-royalty"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Norways-scandal-hit-royals-The-Week.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2259751"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2259753,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2259751\/revisions\/2259753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2259752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2259751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2259751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2259751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}