Feb. 3, 2026

Trial of Marius Borg Høiby Begins as Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s Epstein Ties Resurface

Trial of Marius Borg Høiby Begins as Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s Epstein Ties Resurface

The criminal trial of Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, gets underway in Oslo as Norway’s royal family faces an unprecedented convergence of legal and reputational pressure.

Høiby, 29, is due before the Oslo District Court on a sweeping charge sheet that includes 38 alleged offences, among them four counts of rape, along with allegations of assault, domestic abuse, drug offences and restraining order violations. Prosecutors say the case grew from a single domestic incident in August 2024 into a far broader investigation as additional alleged victims came forward. Høiby has denied the most serious accusations and says he will give his account during the seven-week trial.

As proceedings begin, renewed scrutiny is also falling on the Crown Princess herself following the release of United States justice department files detailing past contact between Mette-Marit and Jeffrey Epstein. The documents show years of email exchanges and confirm that she stayed at Epstein’s Palm Beach home in 2013. While no criminal wrongdoing is alleged, the revelations have reignited questions about judgment and associations at the highest levels of Norway’s monarchy.
Mette-Marit has publicly acknowledged what she called “poor judgment,” expressed regret for the contact, and voiced sympathy with Epstein’s victims. Crown Prince Haakon has sought to draw a firm line between the institution and his stepson, stressing that Høiby is not a member of the royal house and will be treated like any other citizen under the rule of law.

With the trial now underway and fresh attention on past royal connections to Epstein, the case has become the most serious test of Norway’s modern monarchy in decades, unsettling a country where public support for the royal family has traditionally remained strong.

Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!

Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!


We now have Merch!  FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.com


Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:12.880
Kalarogu Shark Media Now Hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue Norway. Addition,

2
00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:18.079
I'm your host, Mark Francis Marius Borg Hoibi, the adult

3
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:21.440
son of Norway's Crown Princess Meta Marie and stepson of

4
00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:24.600
Crown Prince Harken, is due to appear in Oslo District

5
00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:28.879
Court today to face a wide ranging criminal trial involving

6
00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:32.759
dozens of serious charges. Although he holds no royal title

7
00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:35.240
and is not a member of the Norwegian Royal House,

8
00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:39.159
the cases placed the royal family under intense scrutiny because

9
00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:41.520
of his close personal connection to the heir to the

10
00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:45.880
throne and the gravity of the allegations. Hoibi twenty nine,

11
00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:49.039
is facing a total of thirty eight charges, including four

12
00:00:49.079 --> 00:00:52.039
counts of rape. The case began quietly in the early

13
00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:55.200
hours of August fourth, twenty twenty four, when police were

14
00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:59.240
called to an apartment in Oslo's affluent Frogner district following

15
00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:03.240
reports of antic argument. Inside, officers found scigns of violence

16
00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:07.079
that would soon be splashed across Norwegian tabloids, including a

17
00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:11.200
shattered chandelier and a knife lodged in a wall. The

18
00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:13.239
man at the center of the incident was Hoibi, the

19
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:16.799
twenty nine year old son of Crown Princess Madame Marie.

20
00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:19.719
What started as a single arrest quickly widened into a

21
00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:25.519
sweeping investigation as additional alleged victims came forward. Prosecutors assembled

22
00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:29.519
a charge sheet listing thirty eight offenses, including four counts

23
00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.959
of rape, along with allegations of assault, domestic abuse, and

24
00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:38.319
drug related crimes. Weibi has denied the most serious accusations

25
00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:39.920
and says he will give his own account when the

26
00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:43.439
trial begins in Oslo. If convicted on the most severe charges,

27
00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:47.159
he faces a potential prison sentence of up to sixteen years.

28
00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:52.159
Through his lawyer Peta Seculik, Hoeby has insisted he does

29
00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:57.000
not accept wrongdoing in the most serious cases. Seculic said,

30
00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:01.159
Hoiby is absolutely taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn't

31
00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:04.480
acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases, especially in

32
00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:08.159
the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence. Several women are

33
00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:13.039
expected to testify, though only one, his former girlfriend, Norah Hauklund,

34
00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:17.439
has been publicly named by prosecutors after she accused Hoeby

35
00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:20.960
of kicking, punching and strangling her. Norwegian courts rejected her

36
00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:24.840
request for anonymity. Historians and royal experts have described the

37
00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:28.599
case as unprecedented. Trond Nora and Esigson said, when it

38
00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:30.960
comes to the Norwegian royal family, it is without a

39
00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:34.439
doubtly biggest scandal. There have been controversies surrounding the choice

40
00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.680
of spouses, about renovations of the palace and these kinds

41
00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:42.120
of things, but never any real scandals involving criminal offenses,

42
00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:46.759
let alone so many. Oyby occupies an unusual position within

43
00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:50.800
the royal orbit. Born before his mother married Crown Prince Harken,

44
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:53.719
he holds no royal title and has no place in

45
00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:58.039
the line of succession. Unlike his half siblings, Princess Ingrid

46
00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:01.840
Alexandra and Prince Sverhet Magnus, he has no public role,

47
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:04.560
though he has appeared at royal family events in the past,

48
00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:09.159
most recently during celebrations for Princess Ingrid Alexandra's eighteenth birthday

49
00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:13.319
in twenty twenty two. Raised amid privilege, he was once

50
00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:16.919
affectionately known as Little Marius, serving as a page boy

51
00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:19.479
at his mother's wedding in two thousand and one. As

52
00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:23.199
he grew older, however, he cultivated a rebellious public image

53
00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:27.759
frequenting Oslo's nightlife, appearing occasionally on television and later admitting

54
00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:31.719
to regular drug use. Prosecutors have said the charges include

55
00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.639
one count of rape involving sexual intercourse and three counts

56
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.879
of rape without intercourse, along with allegations of domestic abuse, assault,

57
00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:43.759
death threats, drug offenses, and traffic violations. In January, six

58
00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:48.439
additional charges were added, including a serious narcotics offense involving

59
00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:52.280
approximately three and a half kilos of marijuana, to restraining

60
00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:57.719
order violations and multiple traffic offenses. Prosecutor Stirler Henrik's post

61
00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:00.639
said the additional indictment will now be sent to the

62
00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:05.080
Oslo District Cork for consideration during the main hearing. In

63
00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:08.599
statements released through his lawyers, Hoibe has acknowledged responsibility for

64
00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:13.319
some lesser nonviolent offenses, including transporting cannabis, while maintaining his

65
00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.319
innocence on rape and abuse allegations. He has said, the

66
00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:20.600
drug use and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened.

67
00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:22.800
I want to be responsible for what I have done

68
00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:26.639
and will explain myself truthfully to the police. The trial,

69
00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:30.199
expected to last seven weeks, comes amid a series of

70
00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.879
strains on the Royal family, Crown Princess Meta Meria is

71
00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.519
currently awaiting a lung transplant. The illness, pulmonary fibrosis, was

72
00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:43.279
first disclosed publicly in twenty eighteen and is degenerative. Ahead

73
00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:45.839
of the trial, it was confirmed that Crown Princess Metamereat

74
00:04:45.879 --> 00:04:48.120
is planning a private stay over the coming weeks, during

75
00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:51.839
a period when her chronic lung condition has worsened. Adding

76
00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:55.439
to the pressure, newly released Jeffrey Epstein files revealed that

77
00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:58.519
Meta Maria had contact with Epstein and once stayed at

78
00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:02.079
his home in twenty thirteen, prompting her to express deep

79
00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:04.879
sympathy and solidarity with his victims and to say she

80
00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:08.720
regretted meeting him. In a rare public intervention ahead of

81
00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.439
the trial, Crown Prince Harken sought to draw a clear

82
00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:15.160
boundary between the institution and his step son. He said,

83
00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.319
our thoughts are with everyone who is affected by this case.

84
00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:21.040
It has an impact on the individuals, their families and

85
00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.000
all those who care about them. We understand that this

86
00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:26.720
is a difficult time for many of you and we sympathize.

87
00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:29.120
Marius borg Hoebi is not a member of the Royal

88
00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:32.040
House of Norway and it is therefore autonomous. We care

89
00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:34.920
about him and he is an important member of our family.

90
00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:37.879
He is a citizen of Norway and as such has

91
00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:40.800
the same responsibilities as everyone else, as well as the

92
00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:44.000
same rights. At the same time, it is reassuring to

93
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.720
know that we live in a state governed by the

94
00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:48.759
rule of law. I am confident that those responsible for

95
00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.360
overseeing the proceedings will ensure that the trial is conducted

96
00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:55.040
in as orderly, proper and just a manner as possible.

97
00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:58.000
Crown Prince Hearken confirmed that neither he nor Crown Princess

98
00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:02.120
Madamory will attend court proceedings. In a separate interview published

99
00:06:02.199 --> 00:06:05.480
last year, Crown Princess Metamory addressed the personal toll of

100
00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:08.879
the situation, saying being a parent is the most vulnerable

101
00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:11.079
thing you can do, and I think all parents will

102
00:06:11.079 --> 00:06:14.079
recognize that there is an incredible amount of self blame involved.

103
00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.439
She said the family had sought professional help for her son,

104
00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:20.279
and added the thing that perhaps upsets me the most

105
00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:23.319
is being criticized for how we've handled it as parents,

106
00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:26.720
that we didn't take it seriously. I find that hard.

107
00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.360
Despite the turmoil, public support for the monarchy remains high,

108
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.319
with approval ratings reported at more than seventy percent. Still,

109
00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:36.920
as the trial begins, the case is unsettled both the

110
00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:40.480
family and the country. Norwegian police say Hoyby was taken

111
00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:44.399
into custody on Sunday evening following a new incident. According

112
00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.959
to authorities, the arrest relates to allegations of assault, making

113
00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:51.720
threats involving a knife, and breaching an existing restraining order.

114
00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:54.800
Police have now asked the court to remand Hoibe in

115
00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:58.319
custody for four weeks, arguing that detention is necessary to

116
00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:01.920
prevent the risk of further offenses while the case proceeds.

117
00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:05.759
In a statement, Andreas Kreszhsky of the Oslo Police District

118
00:07:05.879 --> 00:07:08.879
said the Oslo Police District can confirm that Marius Boig

119
00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:11.399
Hoebi was arrested by the police on Sunday evening, charge

120
00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:13.920
with assualt threats with the knife and violation of a

121
00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:18.399
restraining order. More crown and controversy in just a moment.

122
00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:25.600
Norway's Crown Princess Meta Marita is facing renewed scrutiny after

123
00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:30.199
newly released United States Justice Department files appeared to document

124
00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:33.240
years of contact between her and the late convicted sex

125
00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:37.160
offender Jeffrey Epstein. The latest batch of files reportedly contains

126
00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.680
more than one thousand references to Meta Marie, including numerous

127
00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:43.519
email exchanges that suggest the two were in contact between

128
00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:48.000
twenty eleven and fourteen, while after Epstein had pleaded guilty

129
00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:50.920
in Florida two charges involving the solicitation of the minor.

130
00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:54.720
The material does not allege criminal wrongdoing by the Crown Princess,

131
00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:58.079
but it has reignited public and media attention around her

132
00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:02.759
judgment and associations. In a statement issued by the Royal Palace,

133
00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:07.680
Menamary addressed the revelations directly, saying I showed poor judgment

134
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.639
and I deeply regret having had any contact with Epstein.

135
00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:14.600
It is simply embarrassing. She also expressed her deep sympathy

136
00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:18.600
and solidarity with Epstein's victims, and said she was responsible

137
00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:21.720
for not having checked Epstein's background more closely and not

138
00:08:21.800 --> 00:08:25.759
understanding quickly enough what kind of person he was. The

139
00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:29.920
emails cited in reporting include familiar and at times flirtatious language,

140
00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:33.960
with Metamory describing Epstein as soft hearted, calling him such

141
00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:36.480
a sweetheart, and writing in one message, you always make

142
00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:40.720
me smile because you tickle my brain. Other exchanges discussed

143
00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.679
his so called wife hunt in Paris, which she described

144
00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:47.240
as good for adultery, adding that the Scandies are better

145
00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:51.200
wife material. One message raised eyebrows by asking whether it

146
00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:54.480
will be inappropriate for a mother to suggest wallpaper depicting

147
00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:58.120
two naked women carrying a surfboard for her teenage son's room.

148
00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.320
In another, she thanked Epstein for sending flowers while she

149
00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:06.000
was ill, signing off with love MM. The finals also

150
00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:08.919
indicate that Meta Marie stayed for several days at Epstein's

151
00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:12.200
home in Palm Beach, Florida in twenty thirteen, at a

152
00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:14.960
time when he was not present. The Palace has said

153
00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:18.279
she ended written contact with Epstein in twenty fourteen after

154
00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:20.720
becoming concerned that he was trying to use his relationship

155
00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:25.080
with the Crown Princess as leverage with other people. Norwegian

156
00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:28.399
Prime Minister Joannis gar Store said he agreed that the

157
00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:32.519
Crown Princess had shown poor judgment, but declined further comment.

158
00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:36.240
And there you have it. We'd like to email us

159
00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:40.159
O addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com. My

160
00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:46.200
apologies for any Norwegian mispronunciations in this episode. My Mark Francis,

161
00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:49.639
my thanks to John McDermott. This is Crown and controversy,

162
00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:54.159
Norway and good terms.