Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has publicly addressed her association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, speaking for the first time in seven weeks. In a televised interview, she expressed regret over her interactions with him, stating she felt manipulated and deceived.
The princess revealed that she exchanged numerous emails with Epstein between 2011 and 2014. During this period, she also stayed at his Florida residence, though he was not present at the time.
Mette-Marit acknowledged a personal failing, stating, “It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully.” She also admitted, “And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was.”
This public statement follows earlier apologies and admissions of “poor judgment” after details of her connections to Epstein surfaced from millions of files released by the U.S. justice department in late January.
“Of course I wish I had never met him,” the princess stated. She emphasized that the priority should be on securing justice for Epstein’s victims, expressing significant angerover their ongoing lack of it.
Intense Scrutiny Preceded Public Statement
The decision to speak publicly came after substantial public and political pressure, including calls from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, for an explanation. The interview, spanning approximately 20 minutes, saw the princess visibly emotional at times.
Despite the interview, some responses were perceived as defensive, and specific details remained undisclosed. A particular exchange highlighted an email from 2011, after Epstein had served time for soliciting underage sex, where Mette-Marit wrote, “Googled u after last email. Agree didn’t look too good.”
Sitting with her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, Mette-Marit asserted that she was unaware of Epstein’s status as a sex offender or predator. This was despite the interviewer pointing out that readily available information, such as a Wikipedia article, detailed his history as a convicted abuser.
“I can’t remember this; it was 15 years ago, to be honest,” she responded when questioned about the Wikipedia information.
Questions About Palace and Ministry Knowledge
Mette-Marit attributed her trust in Epstein to her nature, stating, “I am overly trusting, I tend to think the best of people.” Regarding why neither the Royal Palace nor the foreign ministry were aware of her contacts, she explained that Epstein was a “private contact” and she did not disclose all such associations.
Her stay at Epstein’s Palm Beach home in 2013 was attributed to a mutual acquaintance. “Epstein was a close friend of a good friend of mine,” she explained. She alluded to an unsettling “situation” on her final day at the house, which prompted a call to her husband, but declined to elaborate further.
Despite this, she maintained contact with Epstein for a period afterward. She reiterated her tendency to trust, but stated, “But I also chose to end all direct contact with him. And it was because of such episodes as that.”
Health and Royal Role Concerns
The interview was recorded on the same day her son, Marius Borg Høiby, concluded his rape trial, which commenced in early February shortly after the Epstein file revelations concerning Mette-Marit. A verdict in that trial is anticipated in June.
The princess also addressed questions concerning her fitness for her royal duties. She has experienced health issues, and the recent Epstein revelations have fueled public doubt about her readiness to assume the role of queen when Crown Prince Haakon ascends the throne.
Mette-Marit, 52, who suffers from the lung condition pulmonary fibrosis, made it clear that her health would be the determining factor in her ability to continue in her current position. “I live with a serious illness,” she stated. “That is the very thing that decides, quite plainly, whether I can, in any way whatsoever, continue to perform in the role I hold, or not.”
“I would very much like to stand by him in that truly important and challenging project, if I have the opportunity to do so, given my health,” she added, referring to supporting her husband.
Crown Prince Haakon underscored their partnership, stating, “This is after all our project, which we’re doing together.”