Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been convicted on one count of rape following a high-profile trial that has shaken the Norwegian royal family.
Høiby, who became part of the royal family when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, was acquitted on two other rape charges. He pleaded not guilty to the most serious allegations but admitted to several lesser offences. He has the right to appeal the verdict.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months.
The seven-week trial attracted widespread attention across Norway, with court proceedings revealing details of Høiby’s drug addiction, self-recorded videos of sexual encounters, and more than 800 electronic messages submitted as evidence. One of the alleged rapes was said to have taken place in the basement of the Crown Prince’s family residence.
Political communication expert Ketil Raknes said public interest in the case was intensified by the stark contrast between the royal family’s carefully maintained public image and the allegations presented in court.
The scandal has contributed to a decline in support for Norway’s monarchy. During the trial, a Norstat survey showed support for retaining the monarchy falling to a record low of 60%, while support for an alternative system of governance rose to 27%. By May, support for the monarchy had partially recovered to 64%.
The controversy also coincided with renewed criticism of Crown Princess Mette-Marit over her past contact with convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction.
The verdict comes at a difficult time for the Crown Princess, who has been placed on Norway’s national lung transplant list due to worsening pulmonary fibrosis. Doctors have warned that without a transplant, her life expectancy could be limited to around a year.
Observers say the princess’s health struggles have softened public sentiment toward the royal family, leading to more restrained coverage of the case in recent weeks.
