The trial of the son of Norway’s heir to the throne, on charges that include rape, began on Tuesday, opening a week of proceedings in a case that has cast a shadow over the image of the royal family.

Marius Borg Høiby (29) is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and stepson of the Crown Prince, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.

He has been under scrutiny since he was arrested multiple times in 2024 on various allegations of wrongdoing.

Høiby took his seat at the Oslo District Court on Tuesday morning for the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19.

He is facing 38 counts of the indictment. It is about rape, abuse in a close relationship with one ex-partner, violent acts against another, and transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana. Other charges include death threats and traffic violations.

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Prosecutors said Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Seven alleged victims are expected to testify.

Reflecting the international interest in the trial, the judge addressed the court in English, warning that filming and photography were prohibited in the courtroom and advising that some of the witness statements would be heard behind closed doors.

Høiby’s defense team said he “denies all allegations of sexual assault, as well as most allegations of violence.”

He was free pending trial until Sunday, when police said he was arrested on new charges of assault, threatening with a knife and violating a restraining order.

On Monday, the Oslo court granted their request to keep him in custody for up to four weeks due to the risk of reoffending. Defense attorney Petar Sekulić said the arrest followed an alleged “incident” involving another person on Sunday.

A shadow on the picture of the royal family

He declined to give details, but said Høiby is contesting his detention and that his legal team is considering an appeal as soon as he and the other person can give statements to police.

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 assault, as well as most allegations of violence.”

Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit did not plan to attend the trial and that the royal family did not intend to comment during the proceedings.

King Harald, 88, and the royal family are generally popular in Norway, but the Høiby case posed a problem for the family’s image.

And Høiby’s trial begins just as Mette-Marit faces renewed scrutiny of her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein following the release of a new batch of documents from Epstein’s files on Friday. 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.