Marius Borg Høiby faces 23 charges including sexual assault and bodily harm – but remains FREE as palace stays silent
The son of Norway’s Crown Princess has been charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault involving a shocking “double-digit” number of alleged victims, Oslo police announced today.
Marius Borg Høiby, 28, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to the future King, faces a staggering 23 charges including three counts of rape, four cases of sexual assault and two cases of bodily harm.
The bombshell announcement comes after months of investigation following the troubled royal’s repeated arrests throughout 2024, plunging Norway’s popular monarchy into its gravest scandal in decades.
Despite the severity of the charges – which carry sentences of up to 15 years per rape count – Høiby remains free pending a possible trial, sparking questions about preferential treatment for the man once known affectionately as “Little Marius.
‘Double-digit’ victims revealed
In a shocking press conference today, Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski revealed the scale of the alleged offending for the first time.
I cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number,” he said.
According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Høiby’s defence attorney Ellen Holager Andenæs stated there are between 15 and 20 victims.
The charges include:
- One case of rape involving intercourse
- Two cases of rape without intercourse
- Four cases of sexual assault
- Two cases of bodily harm
- Abuse in close relationships
- Violating restraining orders
- Road traffic offences
From ‘Little Marius’ to black sheep
Once the cherished stepson who charmed Norway when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, Høiby’s fall from grace has been spectacular.
The boy who grew up in royal palaces alongside his half-siblings Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus has transformed into what royal commentator Sebastian Mattsson called “the black sheep” of the extended royal family.
Newspaper editor Trygve Hegnar went further, branding him “the psycho who brings down the royal family.”
Drug-fuelled confession
The scandal erupted in August 2024 when Høiby was first arrested on charges of bodily harm and criminal damage at his ex-girlfriend’s Oslo apartment.
Ten days later, in an extraordinary public statement, he admitted to his crimes while blaming his behaviour on substance abuse.
“The incidents took place in a haze of alcohol and cocaine,” he confessed, adding that he has “several mental disorders” and would resume treatment.
His admission of cocaine use shocked a nation where the royals have long maintained a squeaky-clean image.
Prison stint at Hamar
As the investigation deepened, Høiby was arrested again in November 2024 on suspicion of rape – this time involving a woman who was “unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act.
He was briefly remanded at Hamar Prison, marking the first time a member of Norway’s extended royal family had been incarcerated.
Police revealed he was in a car with the alleged victim when arrested, raising disturbing questions about the circumstances.
Evidence mountain builds
Kruszewski told reporters that evidence against Høiby includes:
- Text messages
- Witness testimonies
- Police searches
- “Extensive digital material”
The prosecutor confirmed Høiby had been “cooperative during police questioning, which is now complete.
Royal refuses to admit guilt
Despite the mountain of evidence, Høiby’s defence attorney Petar Sekulic insisted his client is “absolutely taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases — especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence.
Sekulic said Høiby only admits guilt to “one incident of bodily harm against his last girlfriend, criminal damage in her apartment and a threat.”
Palace maintains stony silence
The Norwegian royal palace has refused to comment on the explosive charges, with the institution that once embraced “Little Marius” now maintaining a careful distance.
“The case is taking its course in the legal system, and follows normal procedures,” was all the palace would tell Norwegian media.
The silence is deafening for a monarchy that prides itself on transparency and connection with the people.
Mother’s wild past returns to haunt
The scandal has reignited uncomfortable memories of Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s own controversial past.
When she married Haakon in 2001, the future queen shocked Norway – she was a single mother who had “lived a freewheeling life” with companions convicted on drug charges.
Her father Sven O. Høiby was a convicted felon and unemployed alcoholic who married a stripper. Marius’s biological father Morton Borg also served time for drugs and violent offences.
A week before her royal wedding, Mette-Marit was forced to make a televised apology for having “lived a dissolute life.
Celebrity connections exposed
As the investigation unfolded, embarrassing details of Høiby’s lifestyle emerged. He was photographed alongside individuals with criminal records and a controversial alt-right blogger with a history of defending rape.
In February 2025, additional rape accusations surfaced involving model and TV presenter Linni Meister, adding a celebrity dimension to the scandal.
Living off royal privilege
Despite having no official royal title or duties, Høiby has enjoyed all the trappings of palace life.
He previously lived with the royal family at their official residences but now occupies a separate house nearby – still within the royal estate.
In 2016, he sparked controversy by posting luxury items for sale online using the royal residence as his address, accused of misusing his proximity to the monarchy for monetary gain.
Failed Hollywood dreams
After graduating high school in 2016, Høiby attempted to forge his own path, enrolling in business studies at Santa Monica College in California.
But he dropped out after just months without completing a degree, before briefly working as an intern for designer Philipp Plein.
The pattern of starting and abandoning projects would become a hallmark of his troubled adult life.
‘Catastrophe’ for monarchy
Royal commentator Johan T. Lindwall described Høiby’s alleged crimes as a “catastrophe” for the Norwegian monarchy.
The scandal has occurred concurrently with controversies involving Princess Märtha Louise’s shaman fiancé Durek Verrett, leading commentators to speak of a “decimation of the Norwegian royal family’s reputation.
What happens next?
Prosecutors gave no timeline for when Høiby might face trial, leaving the royal family in an agonising state of limbo.
He remains free pending proceedings, entitled to a presumption of innocence until a court rules otherwise – a fact that has raised eyebrows given the severity and number of charges.
Each rape charge carries a potential 15-year sentence, meaning Høiby could face decades behind bars if convicted on all counts.
For Norway’s beloved royal family, the wait for justice may prove as damaging as any verdict.
