OSLO — The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape and domestic violence as his trial opened in Oslo, a case that has jolted an already embattled royal family and stirred debate over the future of the monarchy.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon, faces 38 counts and could receive multiple years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges. He entered not-guilty pleas to four counts of rape and one count of domestic violence.
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Under Norwegian law, defendants can admit partial guilt. Hoiby told the court he was partially guilty of aggravated assault and reckless behavior.
Lead prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe said the case would be handled as any other criminal proceeding, despite Hoiby’s royal connections. “He will not be handled tougher or milder because he is part of this family,” Henriksboe said in opening remarks to the court.
Hoiby’s lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenaes, argued her client has faced extraordinary and prejudicial scrutiny. “The press coverage — which defendant sees 10,000 press articles written about him? … He has experienced books being written about him, and more are coming,” she told the court. “Our client has absolutely not received normal treatment. He has not received any positive treatment.”
Crown Prince Haakon said he and Crown Princess Mette-Marit do not plan to attend the proceedings but emphasized both due process and empathy for those involved. “We love him. He is an important part of our family. He is a Norwegian citizen, so he has the same responsibilities as everyone else, as well as the same rights,” the crown prince said in a statement. He also expressed sympathy for the alleged victims, adding: “We think about them. We know many are going through a difficult time.”
The trial begins just days after Crown Princess Mette-Marit apologized for her “poor judgement” in maintaining contact with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction. The overlap has intensified pressure on the royal household, even though Hoiby has no royal title and is outside the line of succession.
The case arrives amid new scrutiny of the monarchy’s standing. Norway’s parliament recently voted overwhelmingly to maintain the constitutional monarchy after a long-planned debate on whether to switch to a republic. But public sentiment appears fluid. A Verdens Gang poll showed support for keeping the monarchy falling to 61% from 72% last year, with support for a republic rising to 27%. A separate Norstat survey for public broadcaster NRK, conducted in January among 1,030 people, found 70% support for the monarchy and 19% backing another form of government — illustrating how results can vary by timing and methodology.
Beyond politics, the institution has faced personal strains. King Harald, 88, Europe’s oldest living monarch, scaled back his official program in 2024 after hospitalization for an infection and receiving a pacemaker. Crown Princess Mette-Marit needs a lung transplant after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. And Princess Martha Louise stepped down from official duties in 2022 to focus on private business pursuits, agreeing that she and her husband — an American self-styled shaman — would not use her title commercially; the couple drew criticism last year for appearing in a Netflix documentary about their life.
Historians have described Hoiby’s trial as the gravest peacetime test for the Norwegian royal family, even as the defendant remains a private citizen in legal terms. As evidence is presented in Oslo, the proceedings will test the justice system’s promise of equal treatment under the law and the public’s confidence in an institution that remains central to Norway’s identity.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
