March 9, 2026
Questions Grow Around Mette-Marit as Trial Fallout Spreads
As the trial of Marius Borg Høiby continues to dominate headlines in Norway, attention is increasingly turning to the wider implications for the royal family — particularly Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
A regional scouting organization has now called for her suspension as patron, arguing that institutions connected to the monarchy must reconsider their ties while the case involving her son unfolds. At the same time, renewed scrutiny has fallen on the timing of a December press conference announcing that Mette-Marit’s lung disease had progressed to the point that doctors were discussing a potential transplant — a date that coincided with the release of Jeffrey Epstein related documents mentioning her earlier contact with him. Her physician insists the timing was purely a matter of scheduling.
The issue has been further complicated by testimony from Høiby himself, who told the court that his mother warned him police had contacted the family shortly before his arrest.
Meanwhile, new polling suggests support for the Norwegian monarchy has fallen sharply, dropping from seventy percent to sixty percent in a month. King Harald remains extremely popular, but Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s approval rating has dropped to 3.7 out of 10.
Plus: a political debate over whether public opinion can affect the line of succession, and an Oslo bookstore display linking royal coverage to the Epstein scandal that has drawn fresh attention to the controversy.
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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Caalaroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Crown and Controversy Norway.
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I'm Your Palace intry host Mark Francis. While the trial
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of Marius Borghebi has dominated headlines in recent weeks, attention
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is increasingly turning toward the broader implications for the Norwegian
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royal family, and particularly toward Crown Princess Meta Marid. New
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questions emerged about how the palace has handled both the
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public narrative and the institutional relationships surrounding the case. One
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of the most visible developments involves the Norwegian scouting movement.
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The Frederick Stad Scout District has publicly called on the
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national leadership of the organization to suspend Crown Princess Metamorate
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from her role as patron. The local organization says it
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has lost patients with what it sees as hesitation from
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the national leadership a recent Epstein related revelations. In the
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continued scrutiny surrounding the trial of her son, the group
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says the organization must now make a clear decision. According
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to the district leadership, it is no longer enough to
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wait and see. Most institutions have avoided taking a position
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while the trial of Marius borg Hoibe is ongoing at
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the same time. Renewed attention has also fallen on the
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timing of a press conference held late last year about
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the Crown Princess's health. In December, the Palace announced that
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Metamurit's lung disease had progressed to the point that doctors
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were preparing for the possibility of the lung transplant. The
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announcement came during a press conference on December nineteenth. That
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date later attracted attention because it coincided with the legal
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deadline for the release of Jeffrey Epstein related documents in
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the United States. When those documents were published, they included
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previously unknown correspondents involving metamrit and Epstein. Some observers questioned
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whether the timing of the health and all had been
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intended to shift media attention. Now, the physician who spoke
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at that press conference has addressed those questions directly. Ari
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martin Holm, the lung specialist responsible for treating the Crown Princess,
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told the publication Journaliston that the date was determined by
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his own schedule. Holmes said the timing was adjusted to
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when I had time. Holme explained that the weeks leading
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up to Christmas were unusually busy, leaving only two possible
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dates for the press briefing in week fifty one, when
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the press conference finally took place, I only had the
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possibility on Wednesday the seventeenth and Friday the nineteenth, he said.
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The physician also emphasized the seriousness of the medical information
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that was shared for patients with severe lung disease. Beginning
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to talk about lung transplantation is dramatic. We never take
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that lightly. Despite those explanations, the overlap in timing has
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fueled renewed scrutiny of how the Royal household manager's sensitive information.
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For many observers, the issue is not simply the Crown
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Princess's past contact with Epstein, but how the Palace communicates
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about it and whether institutions associated with the royal family
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should reconsider their ties. Those questions have become more pointed
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as the trial of her son continues to produce uncomfortable headlines.
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On Friday, Hoibi testified in court that his mother had
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called him shortly before his first arrest to warn the
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police had contacted the family. He told the court that
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she urged him to clean himself up before meeting officers.
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She said, jump in the shower and put on clothes
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that don't smell like alcohol. He testified that testimony has
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further complicated the public conversation around the royal family's role
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in the unfolding case. It does not suggest any wrongdoing
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by the Crown Princess, but it has reinforced the perception
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that the personal crisis surrounding her son continues to intersect
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with the monarchy's public image more crown and controversy. In
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just a moment, when King Harald's reign comes to an end,
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Crown Prince Hearken will become king immediately, and at the
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same moment, Crown Princess Meta Maria will become queen. There
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is no formal mechanism that allows public opinion to intervene
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in that process. Political commentator Hans Engel explains it in
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very direct terms. The Norwegian constitution is designed in the
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same way as the Danish one. That means the new
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monarchy accedes immediately, including the spouse Meta Marie therefore becomes
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queen at once. That transition happens in the instant the
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throne becomes vacant, the formal ceremony in Nadara's Cathedral, which
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is the traditional national marking of a new reign, can
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take place much later, just as it did in nineteen
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ninety one when King Harald and Queen Sonya were consecrated
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months after the accession, but the change of status itself
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is automatic. Angle also makes clear that neither poor polling
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nor public dissatisfaction can alter the line of succession. You
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cannot abolish the institution because opinion polls show that she
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is deeply unpopular. The constitution stands. If the public mood
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is that people do not want Meta Marita's queen, it
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will require either that she withdraws herself, that the couple divorces,
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or that the constitution is amended. That legal certainty now sits.
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In sharp contrast to the latest polling figures, which show
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a significant shift in public sentiment, support from the monarchy
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has fallen from seventy percent to sixty percent in the
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space of a single month. At the same time, King
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Harold continues to command extremely strong personal approval, scoring nine
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point two out of ten when respondents were asked how
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well he represents the Royal House. Meta Marie by comparison,
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receives three to seven, down from seven to four. The
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distinction being drawn by the public between the current monarch
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and the future royal couple is becoming increasingly clear. Criticism
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has also come from prominent public figures, the anti corruption
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campaigner and former judge Eva Jolie, who says she retains
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great respect for the King and Queen, it was openly
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critical of the next generation. She said the heirs are
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not as worthy. It is difficult to see Meta Marie
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becoming queen when she has lived in the same house
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where two thousand girls were abused. Her comments reflect a
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broader debate now taking place in Norway about reputation, accountability
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and the long term impact of the Epstein connections that
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have surfaced in recent weeks. However, none of that debate
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changes the constitutional framework in Oslo. The Epstein fallout has
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now reached an unexpected place. A bookstore, a Norly branch
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in Univert Scater set up a themed displayed titled Epstein
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Island guest List, featuring books linked to figures who have
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been mentioned in the ongoing coverage. Among them was a
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twenty year old biography of Crown Princess Meta Marie, published
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long before her contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the employee who
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created the display, So the idea came from the fact
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that the Epstein story has dominated the news cycle, adding
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bluntly that people who did not want to be associated
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with Epstein have themselves to thank. The co author called
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it a bit special that the biography is being used
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this way, but declined further comment. And there you have it.
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You'd like to email us or addresses the Palace intrig
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at gmail dot com. Please follo us on Spotify, Apple
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or the Apple viewer choice and Mark Francis my thanks
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to John McDermott. This is Crown and Controversy Norway
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