Marius Borg Høiby, 29, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess, began his testimony this week in a trial where he faces charges of rape and over 30 other alleged offenses. The weight of the occasion appeared to overwhelm him.
During his statement, his voice wavered, forcing several pauses for him to remove his glasses and attend to his eyes. He expressed how challenging it was to speak, mentioning ongoing press attention since he was just three years old.
Høiby denies four allegations of rape, alongside other significant charges. His testimony followed an account from the first woman he is accused of raping. This woman told the court she believes she was drugged during an “after-party” held in the basement of his parents’ residence in December 2018.
Identified only by her legal status, the woman conveyed a profound sense of “betrayal and shock.” She described being shown videos by police, which she claims depicted him sexually assaulting her. This occurred shortly after a brief period of consensual intimacy between them.
She had previously alluded to a complete memory lapse concerning the events, referring to it as a “black hole.” In closed court proceedings, she stated she had no recollection of what transpired.
The 29-year-old defendant, born four years before his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, married Crown Prince Haakon, holds no official royal title and is not considered a public figure. His initial court appearance on Tuesday reportedly showed him visibly distressed, leading to a hospital stay overnight rather than his return to custody.
Returning to court on Wednesday, Høiby took his seat. After a period of evident emotional strain, he regained composure. He then addressed the court, attributing his actions to a significant need for external validation, which led him to engage in extensive drug and alcohol use and sexual activity. “I am known for being my mother’s son. Nothing else. I have had an extreme need for validation,” he stated to the three judges presiding over the case.
His trial occurs during a difficult period for the Crown Princess. This comes after revelations of hundreds of messages exchanged between Mette-Marit and the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over a three-year span. On Wednesday, the royal palace announced that Crown Princess Mette-Marit had postponed a private trip indefinitely, offering no further elaboration.
The widespread criticism directed at the candid and warm nature of these exchanges has intensified pressure on the Norwegian royal house, especially as the Crown Princess’s son also faces rape charges. Mette-Marit herself has acknowledged her regret and poor judgment regarding the correspondence.