An Oslo court has sentenced Marius Borg Hoiby (29), the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, to four years in prison after convicting him on two counts of rape and multiple other offences in a case that has shaken Norway’s royal family.
Hoiby, whose mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, faced 40 charges ranging from rape to traffic violations. The accusations carried a maximum possible sentence of 16 years.
The court heard that one of the rapes occurred at the crown prince couple’s official residence in 2018. Hoiby was acquitted of two other rape counts but convicted of repeated domestic abuse against a former girlfriend, traffic violations, issuing threats and other offences.
Prosecutors had requested a seven-year sentence.
The defendant had denied the most serious charges, including rape allegations that prosecutors said occurred while the women were asleep or unconscious. His legal team had argued for an 18-month sentence on lesser charges to which he pleaded guilty, including transporting 3.5kg of marijuana, physical assaults and threats.
Hoiby, who has been in custody since 1 February, appeared via video link on Monday for unspecified medical reasons. The only rape victim present in court cried when the guilty verdict was read.
Life in the spotlight
The trial, which ran from 3 February to 19 March, exposed details of Hoiby’s lifestyle. He entered the public eye at age three when his mother began her relationship with the crown prince.
“I’m mostly known as my mother’s son, not anything else. So I’ve had an extreme need for recognition my whole life,” he told the court. “And that manifested itself in a lot of sex, a lot of drugs, and a lot of alcohol.”
The rape charges related to incidents between 2018 and 2024, following nights of partying involving alcohol and drugs. Prosecutors argued the cases involved consensual sex followed by sexual acts when the women appeared unconscious and unable to consent.
Lead prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo described Hoiby as a man “who thinks he can do whatever he wants”.
Hoiby maintained he was “not in the habit of having sex with women who are asleep” and criticised media coverage that he said portrayed him as “a monster” and made him “the hate target of all of Norway”.
Scandal emerges
The case began on 4 August 2024 when police arrested Hoiby for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend in her Oslo flat the previous night. Media published photographs of a knife embedded in a wall and a shattered chandelier.
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Former partner and influencer Nora Haukland subsequently came forward, alleging physical and psychological abuse that prosecutors described as a “reign of terror”.
During the trial, Hoiby acknowledged that jealousy sometimes caused him to lose control.
The women did not file the rape charges themselves. Police discovered videos on Hoiby’s devices during the August 2024 investigation and contacted the women, who were unaware the incidents had been recorded.
Impact on the monarchy
The case has damaged Norway’s royal family and contributed to declining public support, though the monarchy remains broadly popular. It follows earlier reports of Mette-Marit’s friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Hoiby recently requested release from custody to be with his mother after her health deteriorated, but the court denied the application.
Mette-Marit (52) suffers from an incurable lung disease causing breathing difficulties and was recently placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant.
Hoiby is not formally part of the royal household and has no regular employment.
