The Norwegian Royal Family finds itself engulfed in its most serious crisis in modern history as Crown Princess Mette-Marit battles scandals on multiple fronts that threaten to undermine the monarchy’s carefully cultivated reputation.
The Epstein bombshell
The latest blow came over the weekend when newly unsealed US Department of Justice documents revealed an extensive and troubling correspondence between Crown Princess Mette-Marit and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 52-year-old royal’s name appears over 1 000 times in the millions of documents released Friday, according to Norwegian daily VG.
The emails, spanning from 2011 to 2014, paint a picture of what appears to be a surprisingly close relationship. In one particularly damaging exchange from 2012, when Epstein told her he was in Paris “on (a) wife hunt,” Mette-Marit replied that the French capital is “good for adultery” and that “Scandis (are) better wife material.”
Perhaps most shocking was a 2011 message where the Crown Princess acknowledged she had “googled” Epstein, adding “it didn’t look too good” – followed by a smiling emoji. This came three years after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
The revelations show that in 2013, Mette-Marit stayed at Epstein’s Florida residence for four days, raising serious questions about her judgment and the palace’s vetting procedures.
Political pressure mounts
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, has called for the Crown Princess to provide a full explanation of her relationship with the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex crimes against minors.
“I showed poor judgment and I deeply regret having had any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing,” Mette-Marit said in a statement released by the royal palace Saturday.
A recent TV2 poll delivered a devastating verdict on public opinion: 47.6% of respondents said she should not become queen, compared to just 28.9% who backed her future role.
Son’s criminal trial
The Epstein scandal couldn’t have come at a worse time. This week, Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son Marius Borg Hoiby began a seven-week trial in Oslo District Court on 38 criminal charges, including the alleged rape of four women and multiple counts of assault against ex-girlfriends.
The charges, some dating back to 2018, include allegations that Hoiby raped women while they were sleeping or unconscious from alcohol, with some incidents allegedly filmed. He faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted.
In a dramatic development, Hoiby was arrested again on Sunday evening on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife, and violating a restraining order. He was remanded in custody Monday for four weeks after police warned of a “risk of reoffending.”
A troubled background
The tall, tattooed Hoiby – born from Mette-Marit’s relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon – has struggled with substance abuse. He admitted in August 2024 to acting “under the influence of alcohol and cocaine” during an assault on his then-girlfriend.
The investigation into that incident uncovered the string of other alleged crimes, including a 2020 narcotics offense in which he confessed to transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana.
From fairytale to nightmare
Mette-Marit’s story was once the epitome of a modern fairytale. Born in 1973 to working-class parents in Norway’s conservative “Bible Belt,” she transformed from a single mother working as a waitress into Norway’s future queen after meeting Crown Prince Haakon at a music festival in 1999.
Her wild past – including experimentation with drugs in Oslo’s house music scene – was largely forgiven by the Norwegian public, who embraced her authenticity and saw her as a modernising force for the monarchy.
Health battles add to burden
Complicating matters further, Mette-Marit suffers from a rare, incurable form of pulmonary fibrosis that causes lung scarring and breathing difficulties. In December, the palace announced she would likely need a risky lung transplant operation.
The disease has already forced her to reduce her royal duties and cancel engagements, adding physical strain to her mounting public pressures.
Royal Family under siege
The scandals represent the most serious crisis for the Norwegian monarchy in decades. While King Harald and Queen Sonja, both 88, remain broadly popular as unifying figures, questions now swirl around the institution’s future.
“Can Mette-Marit become queen after this?” asked Kjetil Alstadheim, chief political editor of Norway’s Aftenposten newspaper, leaving the question ominously unanswered.
Royal expert Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen noted that “a crown princess is never a private person” and criticized the failure of the palace’s “safety catches” in preventing these associations.
The Royal response
Neither Crown Prince Haakon nor Mette-Marit will attend Marius’s trial. The Crown Princess has planned a private trip during the proceedings, though critics question the optics of her absence during such a critical moment.
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo emphasised that Hoiby would “neither be treated more leniently nor more severely because of his family,” as Norway grapples with whether its justice system can fairly handle such a high-profile case.
What’s next
As Norway watches the dual crises unfold, the very future of the monarchy hangs in the balance. The trial is scheduled to conclude on 19 March, with a verdict expected several weeks later. Meanwhile, the full extent of the Epstein documents continues to be analysed by Norwegian media.
For a royal family that has prided itself on being down-to-earth and accessible, these revelations have shattered that carefully constructed image. Whether the Norwegian people will forgive their future queen remains an open question as the country confronts the reality that their fairytale princess may have had far darker chapters than anyone imagined.
The coming weeks will likely determine not just the fate of Marius Borg Hoiby, but the long-term viability of Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s role in Norway’s constitutional monarchy.
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