Fourth victim testifies against Norway’s future royal

Oslo, Norway – A senior Crown Prince’s son faces multiple rape charges that have shaken Norway’s royal household to its core. Marius Borg Hoiby, 29 and the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship with Crown Prince Haakon, now heir apparent, is currently under investigation for raping four women in 2024 alone.

Already facing 38 charges, including multiple rapes, Hoiby pleaded guilty to several minor offenses but maintains his innocence on the rape allegations. He faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted of all rapists.

Hoiby’s legal team has argued that he was merely engaged in consensual sex with one woman and only used cocaine once during a night out, before which they claim all parties had agreed and consented to initial encounters. However, the defense maintains that none of the women were aware or believed their sexual acts could be criminalized.

In what is expected to be a pivotal day for the trial, Hoiby will take the stand Wednesday instead of testifying himself. He has already testified in court previously when his lawyer argued his client’s case and admitted to several rapes, though he maintains they were consensual encounters with no coercion involved.

The Crown Princess’s son was arrested on Aug. 4, 2024 for allegedly assaulting a partner the previous night, which subsequently led to further revelations of suspected offenses that police found on his phone and computer. The women at the center of these allegations did not know they had been raped until confronted by investigators, whose findings have now led to Hoiby’s formal trial.

This has sent shockwaves through the royal family, especially given Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s debilitating lung illness. Haakon, who is also heir to the throne, released a statement in late January stating that he would not attend his son’s trial for both emotional and political reasons. He emphasized that Hoiby remains a citizen of Norway and thus has equal rights under law.

Hoiby was raised alongside Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus by the royal couple without an official public role, though he is no longer considered part of this extended family unit as per Haakon’s recent statement. His mother, who suffers from a terminal lung condition that prevents her from participating in future political roles, remains torn between her roles both as the soon-to-be Queen and mother to her troubled son.

The case has thrust Norway’s royal household into unprecedented scrutiny, raising questions about the privacy of family members within the institution and how such incidents might impact the monarchy’s public image.