March 21, 2026

Mette-Marit breaks silence on Epstein: “I was manipulated and deceived”

Show Notes
Transcript

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken publicly for the first time about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, saying she was “manipulated and deceived” and taking responsibility for not investigating him more thoroughly.

In a highly personal interview with NRK, conducted alongside Crown Prince Haakon, she acknowledged spending time at Epstein’s Palm Beach property, described a moment that left her feeling unsafe, and admitted, “I should have warned more people.”

But while the interview was candid and emotional, it leaves key questions unanswered — including what she discovered when she first searched Epstein’s name, and why contact continued after the incident in Palm Beach.

We break down what she said, what she didn’t say, and whether this carefully controlled interview helps restore trust in the Norwegian monarchy — or raises new concerns at a critical moment for the institution.

Portions of this program were assembled with the assistance of AI, including help with translation, summarisation, and news gathering from publicly available sources. While we have taken care to reflect the reporting accurately, translations and interpretations may contain errors. Listeners should treat this as an informational overview, not a verbatim court record.

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Ah Calarogu Shark Media. Hi am welcome to Crown and

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Controversy Norway. I am your Palace Intrigue host Mark Francis.

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Norway's Crown Princess Meta Marie has spoken publicly for the

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first time about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and the

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interview is as personal as it is consequential for the

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future of the monarchy. In a sit down with nrk

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at Skaugum alongside Crown Prince Haken, Meta Mariite addressed years

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of questions about her contact with the convicted sex offender,

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saying plainly, I was manipulated and deceived. She added, of

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course I wish I had never met him. The Crown

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Princess took responsibility for her actions, saying it was incredibly

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important for her to acknowledge that she did not investigate

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Epstein thoroughly enough. It is my responsibility that I did

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not check his background more carefully, she said. At the

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same time, she was careful to draw a line. It's

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not me anyone should feel sorry for in this situation,

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she said, her voice breaking during the interview. It is

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all the victims who were subjected to the grave abuse

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who deserve justice. A central question in the case has

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been what exactly she knew and when Metomory insisted that

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during the years of contact from twenty eleven to twenty fourteen,

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she did not know Epstein was a sex offender. I

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did not know that he was a sex offender or

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an abuser. She said. That claim has been scrutinized in

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part because of a twenty eleven email in which she

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wrote to Epstein, googled you after the previous email, agreed

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it didn't look too good. Asked directly about the message,

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the Crown Princess said she does not remember what she found.

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If I had found information that made me understand that

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he was an abuser and a sex offender, then I

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would not have put a smiley face after it, she said.

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One of the most striking moments in the interview came

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when she described a stay at Epstein's property in Palm Beach.

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She confirmed she spent several days there and said that

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on the final day something happened that changed her perception

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of him. He put me in a situation that made

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me feel so unsafe that I could hearken, she said.

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She declined to provide further details about the incident, and

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according to NRK, it did not involve an assault. Even

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after that experience, she acknowledged she remained in contact with

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Epstein for a period of time, which she now attributes

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to manipulation and the influence of mutual acquaintances. I am gullible,

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she said, I like to believe the best about people. Ultimately,

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she said, she came to see Epstein as a really

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bad guy and chose to end the relationship, but she

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now says she regrets not going further. I should have

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warned more people, she said. The interview also addressed why

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it took seven weeks for her to speak publicly after

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the latest Epstein related documents surfaced. Metamor pointed to both

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her health and her family situation. I am the mother

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of a young man who has been in a very

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difficult situation, she said, referring to the criminal case involving

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her son, Marius Boyg Hoiby. In addition, I have a

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health condition requires a great deal of rest, and that

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has developed a little further. The chronic lung disease has

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increasingly limited her public schedule, and the Palace confirmed the

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interview itself was restricted to around twenty minutes because of

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her condition. Throughout the interview, Crown Prince Harken sat beside her,

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offering visible and explicit support. I will always have her

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on the team if something difficult happens, he said. He

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also confirmed that he had been aware of her contact

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with Epstein at the time, including her stay in Palm Beach,

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and recall the phone call she made when she felt unsafe.

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The visual of the two of them together, calm, composed

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and united was clearly part of the message. But even

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as the Crown Princess sought to take responsibility and express regret,

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the interview leaves open key questions. She cannot recall what

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she saw when she searched Epstein's name, she will not

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elaborate on what happened in Palm Beach, and she maintains

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she did not understand the nature of his past conviction.

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More crown and controversy in just a moment. In the

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immediate aftermath, actions have been mixed. Some organizations are taking

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a waitancy approach to their relationship with the Crown Princess,

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while others have already distanced themselves. At the same time,

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the interview lands at a difficult moment for the monarchy,

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with recent polling showing a decline in public support Meta

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Marie acknowledged that risk directly, saying I hope this over

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time does not weaken trust in the institution. That would

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be very sad for me. For now, the Royal Household

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has put forward a clear message accountability, regret and unity

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at the top. Next comes the harder question did any

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of it actually resolve the crisis? The decision to give

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an exclusive interview to NRK rather than holding a full

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press conferences already drawing scrutiny. Some commentators argue that a

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single controlled interview cannot substitute for an open questioning from

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multiple outlets, particularly in a case involving years of unanswered

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concerns and newly released documents. There are also questions about

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timing the interview, aired the morning after it was recorded

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rather than immediately, a delay that some critics say risks

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creating the perception of a managed to curated release. NIK

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has defended its process, stating that it had full editorial control,

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that no one outside the broadcaster reviewed the interview prior

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to publication, and that structure, including a roughly twenty minute limit,

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was dictated by the Crown Princess's health. Even so, the

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substance of the interview is now under the microscope. Metamory

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acknowledged responsibility and used strong language. I was manipulated and deceived,

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but the key details remain unclear. What did she actually

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see when she searched Epstein's name in twenty eleven, What

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exactly happened during the Palm Beach visit that made her

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feel unsafe, what did manipulation look like in practice over

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the course of several years, and perhaps most importantly, how

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did a relationship continue after a moment she now described

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as deeply uncomfortable. Critics argue that while the interview was

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emotionally candid, it stopped short of fully addressing those central questions.

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Others take a different view. They point to the fact

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that the Crown Princess appeared at all, spoken her own words,

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took responsibility, and express regret not only for her own actions,

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but for any role she may have played in giving

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Epstein legitimacy. They also emphasize the significance of Crown Prince

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Harkins's presence, his comments I will always have her on

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the team if something difficult happens, and his confirmation that

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he was aware of the relationship at the time send

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a clear signal that the royal couple intends to face

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this as a united front. For some observers, that image

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matters as much as any specific answer, but the broader

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institutional questions are not going away. This is no longer

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just about personal judgment. It touches on how members of

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the royal family navigate international networks, how risks are assessed,

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and how much transparency the public can reasonably expect. It

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also comes at a sensitive time. Support for the monarchy

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has shown signs of strain in recent polling, and the

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Crown Princess herself has acknowledged that trust is central to

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the institution's future. I hope this does not weaken trust,

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she said. Whether the interview stabilizes that trust or simply

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shifts the conversation will become clearer in the days head

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For now, the situation has moved into a new phase.

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The Crown Princess has spoken. The public and the press

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are now deciding whether they have heard enough, and they

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have tact to email us our addresses the Palacentric at

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gmail dot com. Please followus on Spotify, Apple, or the

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apple of your choice. Him Mark Francis, My thanks to

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John McDermott, this is crown and controversy Norway