Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, received a four-year prison sentence on Monday after a court found him guilty of rape and assault. The 29-year-old was convicted on two of four rape charges while being acquitted of the remaining two allegations. He was also found liable for assault and abuse within close relationships, and ordered to compensate his victims.
Highby faced allegations that he had sexually assaulted four women who were incapable of consent or resistance between 2018 and 2024. He was charged with a total of 40 criminal offences, including drug-related violations and breaches of a restraining order. While Høiby denied the rape allegations, he acknowledged responsibility for numerous lesser charges.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of seven years and seven months, whereas his legal team argued for acquittal on rape counts and a maximum 18-month term for admitted offences. The verdict came after a six-week trial concluded in March, featuring testimony from multiple accusers and evidence including digital messages and images from Høiby's phone. He observed the judgment reading via video link from detention due to health concerns.
The case has drawn substantial global media scrutiny owing to Høiby's connection to Norway's royal lineage. Although he holds no royal title and performs no official functions, he is Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son from a prior relationship and was raised alongside Crown Prince Haakon, heir to the Norwegian throne. Recent attention has heightened as the crown princess battles pulmonary fibrosis and awaits a lung transplant.
Courts rejected appeals for Høiby's temporary release pending the verdict. The trial has also intensified examination of the royal family following revelations regarding Mette-Marit's earlier contacts with Jeffrey Epstein. The crown princess has publicly expressed regret for the association and acknowledged poor judgment, though she faces no allegations of impropriety. Høiby retains the right to challenge the sentence.
