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The eldest son of Norway’s heir to the throne was arrested shortly before the start of his trial on rape charges in a case that has shamed the royal family, police said Monday.
Marius Borg Høiby he was arrested on Sunday evening and charged with assault, threats with a knife and breach of restraining order, according to a police statement. They asked for four weeks of detention due to the danger of repeating the crime. His lawyers were not immediately available for comment.
He is due to be tried at the Oslo District Court on Tuesday. The indictment includes 38 counts, including rape, intimate relationship abuse to one ex-partner, an act of violence to another and transporting 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of marijuana. Other charges include death threats and traffic violations.
Høiby has been under scrutiny since he was arrested several times in 2024 various accusations of wrongdoing. He was indicted in Augustbut he was free until Sunday.
Høiby is the son of the crown princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and stepson of the heir to the throne, heir to the throne Haakon. He has no royal title or official position.
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At the heart of the indictment are four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023; and two alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, along with a restraining order violation.
Høiby’s defense team said he “denies all allegations of sexual abuse, as well as most allegations of violence”.
Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit do not plan to attend court and that the royal family does not intend to comment during the proceedings.
He emphasized that Høiby is not part of the royal house and that, as a citizen of Norway, he has the same responsibilities and rights as everyone else. He said that he is convinced that all interested parties will make the trial as orderly, regular and fair as possible.
Although members of the royal family are generally popular in Norway, the Høiby case has cast a shadow over their image. And the trial begins just as his mother faces re-examination of her contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.
Friday publication of the latest series of documents from the Epstein files, a not at all flattering spotlight shone on Mette-Marit. Several hundred of them mentioned the heir to the throne, who already stated in 2019 that she regretted having contact with Epstein, according to Norwegian media.
Newly released documents, which include email exchanges with Epstein, show that Mette-Marit borrowed Epstein’s property in Palm Beach, Florida for several days in early 2013, and the royal family confirmed she did so through a mutual friend, NRK television reported.
In an emailed statement from the royal house, Mette-Marit said she “must take responsibility for not investigating Epstein’s background more thoroughly and for not realizing earlier what kind of person he is.”
“I deeply regret this and it is a responsibility that I must bear. I showed poor judgment and I regret having any contact with Epstein at all,” she said. “It’s just embarrassing.”
She expressed her “deep sympathy and solidarity” with the victims of Epstein’s abuse.
Mette-Marit’s contacts with Epstein and the Høiby trial are not the only source of negative publicity for the Norwegian royal family. The business ventures of Haakon’s sister, Princess Märtha Louise, have drawn repeated criticism. In 2024, around the same time Høiby’s case was in the news, she married to an American self-proclaimed shamanDurek Verrett.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
