From left, Marius Borg Hoiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon (Getty Images)
The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess goes on trial this week on multiple charges, including rape, acts of violence, and making death threats.
The case has been “shocking” for the Norwegian public, who hold a great deal of affection for the royal family.
Marius Borg Høiby will face the Oslo district court in a trial starting on Tuesday. He was indicted in August 2025, following a lengthy investigation.
The indictment includes 38 counts, among them rape, abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 3.5kg (7.7 pounds) of marijuana.
Other charges include making death threats and traffic violations.
Prosecutors have said that Høiby, 29, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted at the trial. It is expected to last until mid-March.
Marius Borg Høiby with his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit (Lise Åserud / NTB)
Høiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon.
He has no royal title or official duties.
He has been under scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 on various allegations of wrongdoing. He has remained free, pending trial.
The indictment centers on 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 violations of a restraining order.
Defence attorney Petar Sekulic said when Høiby was indicted that “our client denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence”.
He added that Høiby “will present a detailed account of his version of events before the court”.
Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon made a rare statement last week (Heiko Junge / NTB)
In a rare statement, Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit do not plan to be in the courtroom for the trial and that the royal house does not intend to comment during the proceedings.
He said that Høiby is not party of the royal house and that, as a citizen of Norway, he has the same responsibilities and rights as all others.
Haakon said that he is confident that all concerned will make the trial as orderly, proper and fair as possible.
The royals are generally popular in Norway, but the Høiby case has cast a shadow on their image.
Tove Taalesen, a royal expert at the Nettavisen newspaper, said that it has been “a shocking one and half years for the Norwegian people because we really love our royal family”.
She added that “we respect them and we look at King Harald as like our grandfather”.
Norway’s King Harald (Cornelius Poppe / NTB)
Ms Taalesen said there may be consequences in the future, “but for now, polls show that we still believe in King Harold and Queen Sonja and we feel we are compassionate also for what the royal family are going through”.
“We definitely have different opinions about the different members of the royal family,” she said.
“But in general, I think we still have sympathy for the crown prince and the crown princess.”
The Høiby story hasn’t been the only source of negative publicity for the royals.
The business ventures of Haakon’s sister, Princess Märtha Louise, have drawn repeated criticism. In 2024, around the same time Høiby’s case was making news, she married an American self-professed shaman, Durek Verrett.