Police arrested Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, late Monday on preliminary rape charges, marking the latest in a series of legal troubles for the royal stepson.
The 27-year-old Borg Høiby, who holds no royal title and performs no official duties, faces accusations of having “sexual intercourse with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act,” according to police statements. The preliminary charge allows authorities to detain suspects during investigations before formal charges are filed.
Hege Salomon, attorney for the alleged victim, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that “she is having a hard time.” The case was initiated by police rather than the victim, whose identity remains protected. Norwegian media reported that Borg Høiby has denied the allegations.
The arrest adds to mounting legal challenges for the crown princess’s son. On August 4, police briefly detained him following a downtown Oslo disturbance, resulting in preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage. Additional charges have since accumulated, including violations of multiple restraining orders and driving without a valid license, involving four women and one man.
The royal palace declined comment through news agency NTB. Borg Høiby currently resides with Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, along with their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
The case has captivated Norwegian media attention, challenging the popular monarchy’s public image. The situation echoes earlier controversy surrounding Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, when her status as a single mother with a complicated past, including ties to an individual convicted on drug charges, generated significant public discourse.
