Norway royal heir's son sentenced to four years for rape
Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, received a four-year prison term after being convicted of two rape counts and acquitted of two others.
Oslo District Court sentenced Marius Borg Høiby, 29, to four years in prison after finding him guilty of two of four rape charges involving women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024. He was acquitted of the remaining two rape counts and also faced lesser charges, including assault, drug-related offenses and violations of a restraining order, to which he admitted guilt.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of seven years and seven months, while his lawyers argued for acquittal on the rape allegations and a maximum of 18 months for the lesser offenses. The six-week trial concluded in March, with testimony from multiple accusers and evidence from Høiby’s cellphone, such as messages, images and videos.
"He denied the rape allegations but admitted to several of the lesser offenses," the court record noted.
Although Høiby holds no royal title or official duties, his case attracted international attention due to his relationship to Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is awaiting a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis. Appeals courts ordered that he remain in custody pending judgment, rejecting requests for temporary release.
The proceedings occurred amid broader scrutiny of the Norwegian royal family, including past revelations about the crown princess’s contacts with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which she has publicly apologized for.