The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess will probably be in a courtroom this week, charged with multiple offences, including rape and abuse against a former partner.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the throne within the Norwegian royal family.
He’s facing 38 charges, including the rape of 4 women, assaulting and threatening a girlfriend and damaging her flat, drug charges and other driving offences.
The royal could spend ten years behind bars, having also been accused of filming plenty of women without their knowledge.
The Norwegian royal family has repeatedly said that Høiby isn’t a public figure, but his proximity to the monarchy has put his trial on the international stage.
He has no royal title or official duties and is outside the road of royal succession.
Who’s Marius Borg Høiby?
Born on January 13, 1997, to mum Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway and father Morten Borg, Høiby was not born into royalty.
But when his mother married Prince Haakon in 2001, he was thrust into the highlight, being considered by many as a royal, despite having no official titles.
He has no public role in royalty, but has been scrutinised by the media for years, having been related to gang members in 2023.
After allegations of assault emerged, it was revealed he had a previous arrest for using cocaine at a music festival in 2017.
His stepfather, Prince Haakon, said in a press release last week: ‘Marius Borg Hoiby isn’t a part of the royal household. In that respect, he’s independent. But after all we love him. He’s a very important a part of our family.
‘And he’s a citizen of Norway. With that, he has the identical responsibilities as everyone else, but additionally the identical rights.’
What have his lawyers said?
Høiby’s defence team has said he takes the accusations seriously but doesn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in a lot of the cases.
His lawyer, Petar Sekulic, said he plans to plead guilty to among the lesser charges in court once the trial starts, but ‘doesn’t agree with the claims regarding rape and domestic violence’.
Last yr, he admitted causing bodily harm to a girl he had been in a relationship with, saying he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol on the time.
He said in a press release last August that he regretted his actions.
Several women are set to offer evidence in court along with those he’s alleged to have raped, with one social media influencer having accused him of punching, kicking and choking her.
The Norwegian royal court said: ‘It’s for the courts to think about this matter and reach a choice. We have now no further comment.’
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