Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, found guilty of rape

Marius Borg Høiby has been found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison.

Three judges at Oslo District Court cleared the 29-year-old son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit of two other counts of rape, but found him guilty of many of the other offences he had been accused of, according to the BBC.

Marius, who joined the court session via video link, had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations, including those of rape.

Prosecutors had called for Marius to be given seven years and seven months in prison. His defence lawyers had called for a shorter term of 18 months and can appeal against the verdict.

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Marius has been in custody since the start of February. The seven-week trial coincided with his mother Mette-Marit’s apology for “poor judgment” in keeping in contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014. Documents were released in January revealing the pair’s friendship. 

Marius’s appeal

The decision comes after the Court of Appeal turned down a bid for Marius to be allowed out to see his mother, Mette-Marit, amid her declining health. She was placed on a lung transplant list earlier this month. 

The court ruled that he would remain in custody because they believed there was still a strong degree of probability he would commit new criminal acts if released, according to Norwegian outlet NRK.

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Mette-Marit, who welcomed Marius before marrying into the royal family when he was four, was diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis that causes breathing difficulties. 

Earlier this month, Marius told Oslo district court: “Being locked up when I know mom is so ill is unbearable,” according to broadcaster NRK.

Mette-Marit’s health

The decision comes during a difficult time for the Crown Princess, who is awaiting a lung transplant. 

In a statement shared earlier this month, the Norwegian Palace shared an official update on the royal’s condition.

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It read: “The Crown Princess is on the lung transplant waiting list.

“As a result of her life-threatening chronic lung disease and following exhaustive health examinations, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant.

“The Crown Princess’s lung condition is serious. Following a joint medical evaluation, she has now been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant as soon as possible, says lung specialist Dr. Are Holm of Rikshospitalet.

“While awaiting surgery, the Crown Princess will be unable to work or carry out her official duties as normal. Her health condition also has implications for the schedule and activities of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess’s family.”

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The statement also revealed that the Crown Prince and Princess have postponed their silver wedding anniversary celebrations, which were planned for August 2026, and the Crown Princess will not participate in the planned provincial tour in September.

Meanwhile, Princess Ingrid Alexandra has returned to Norway from the University of Sydney to be closer to her mother, and will be an exchange student at the University of Sydney and the University of Oslo during the autumn semester of 2026.