OSLO — The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape and domestic violence but admitted to lesser offenses Monday as his closely watched trial opened in the capital, laying bare the most serious crisis to face the country’s royal family in peacetime.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon, faces 38 counts in total and could receive multiple years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges. He does not hold a royal title and is outside the line of succession.
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Hoiby entered pleas of not guilty to four rape charges and one count of domestic violence. Under Norwegian law, he also entered a partial guilty plea to aggravated assault and reckless behavior.
Lead prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe told the Oslo court that Hoiby would be treated like any other defendant. “He will not be handled tougher or milder because he is part of this family,” Henriksboe said in his opening statement.
Ellen Holager Andenaes, Hoiby’s lawyer, argued that her client had already endured exceptional 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 in a statement that he and Crown Princess Mette-Marit would not attend the proceedings. “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,” he said. He also expressed sympathy for alleged victims: “We think about them. We know many are going through a difficult time.”
The trial opens days after Mette-Marit apologized for what she called “poor judgement” in maintaining contacts with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction, a reminder of the broader turbulence buffeting the monarchy.
Historian Trond Noren Isaksen has called the case the most serious crisis to hit the Norwegian royal family in peacetime. While Norway’s parliament recently voted overwhelmingly to maintain the monarchy after a long-planned debate, public opinion has shown signs of strain. A poll for the daily Verdens Gang found support for keeping the monarchy fell to 61% from 72% last year, with backing for a republic rising 10 points to 27%. A separate Norstat poll for public broadcaster NRK in January found 70% support for the monarchy and 19% in favor of another form of government.
King Harald V, 88, Europe’s oldest living monarch, has scaled back public duties in 2024 after being hospitalized for an infection and later receiving a pacemaker. Crown Princess Mette-Marit needs a lung transplant after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. King Harald’s daughter, Princess Martha Louise, stepped down from official duties in 2022 to pursue her own ventures; she and her American husband, a self-styled shaman, have said they would refrain from using her title in commercial settings. The couple drew criticism last year for appearing in a Netflix documentary about their daily lives.
The court is expected to hear testimony from alleged victims and witnesses in the coming days. A verdict date has not been announced. For the royal household, the proceedings combine the pressures of an intensely public criminal case with a broader test of the monarchy’s standing, even as the palace insists Hoiby will be judged like any other Norwegian.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
