Oslo — Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was arrested on Sunday evening on new charges just days before the start of his high-profile rape trial. Oslo police said Høiby is suspected of assault, making threats with a knife, and violating a restraining order, prompting authorities to request four weeks of pre-trial detention to prevent potential reoffending. The Oslo district court is expected to decide on his detention on Monday afternoon.
Høiby faces a total of 38 charges, including four counts of rape, domestic abuse of a former partner, and the illegal filming of several women without their consent. The trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday and is expected to last for seven weeks. Høiby has denied the most serious accusations, including sexual abuse.
A police prosecutor, Andreas Kruszewski, said: “The Oslo police district can confirm that Marius Borg Høiby was arrested on Sunday evening and charged with bodily harm, making threats involving a knife, and breach of a restraining order. The police have requested four weeks of pre-trial detention due to the risk of reoffending. Beyond this, the police have no further comments at this time.”
Høiby’s arrest comes amid growing tension for the Norwegian royal family after Crown Princess Mette-Marit was linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Over the weekend, her name appeared nearly 1,000 times in newly unsealed files released by the U.S. Justice Department.
In response, Mette-Marit said the correspondence revealed “poor judgment” and expressed regret over her contact with Epstein, describing it as “simply embarrassing.” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noted that those mentioned in the files are expected to clarify the facts. The release of the documents does not imply wrongdoing.
The emails suggest that Mette-Marit and Epstein were in close contact between 2011 and 2014, years after Epstein’s guilty plea for charges including soliciting prostitution from a minor. The files show that Mette-Marit referred to Epstein as “very charming,” “soft-hearted,” and “such a sweetheart,” and that she stayed at his Florida home for four days in 2013 while he was away.
In a statement, the palace clarified that written contact with Epstein ended in 2014, after Mette-Marit felt he was attempting to leverage their relationship. She has expressed solidarity with Epstein’s victims and admitted responsibility for not checking Epstein’s background more closely.
Høiby was born from Mette-Marit’s previous relationship, prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, the future king of Norway. The unfolding case places both mother and son under intense international scrutiny as the legal process against Høiby begins.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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