Norway’s Royal PR Crisis: The Trial Of Marius Borg Høiby

Marius Borg Høiby might be close to the royal family in Norway, but if you think the British royal family have problems, they don’t come even close to the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit. This week, his trial starts and he faces 38 true crime charges. Read on for more details.

When Does The Trial Start?

The trial begins on February 3 and the 29-year-old’s case should last about two months. It’s interesting to note that Prince Andrew in the UK ended up stripped of his titles. How does that factor in? Well, Marius Borg Høiby grew up within the royal household alongside his half-siblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.

While he wasn’t ever granted an official title and did no royal duties, the public still associates him as a royal. Like Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, he also brings really bad PR for Norway’s monarchy. Actually, he might be able to say to Andrew, “Hold my beer!”

Some Nasty Allegations

AP reported on the weekend, that Marius, the “eldest son of Norway’s crown princess,” appears in court and the indictment seems huge. The outlet noted that Høiby faces charges for:

abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 3.5 kilos (7.7 pounds) of marijuana.

When Did The Alleged Incidents Occur?

Allegedly, the bad things started happening in about 2018. Obviously, the most disturbing claims involve four counts of r@pe. If it’s true, then some of them sound really bad. Apparently, the prosecution claims that some of the acts of violence happened when the victims were unconscious.

Høiby admitted to minor true crime offenses like drug use and a bit of minor violence. However, he firmly denied anything to do with the intimacy charges and other claims of abuse. Well, that doesn’t help him, because it seems as if the Norway judicial system might throw the book at him.

The Monarchy Distances Themselves

If he’s found guilty, then he might end up in prison for a decade or more. And, it might be a long trial because he intends to plead not guilty to nearly all of the charges. In the meantime, the monarchy distanced themselves from the wayward son.

Crown Prince Haakon told the media that he and Mette-Marit won’t be turning up in court and noted that his son must face justice the same as anyone else. In fact, he said that the true crime suspect “has the same responsibilities and rights as all others” under the law.

It seems understandable that Norway’s elite might keep away. After all, much like the British Royal Family, the public trusted and loved their version of royalty. However, the case changed a lot of admiration to mistrust and scorn. Notably, it’s been termed the biggest scandal/crisis in Norway’s modern monarchy.

It’s not the first time that folks wondered about the royals, either. Reportedly, controversy arose when Princess Märtha Louise married a Shaman. Not that it’s a crime, but certainly, it seemed very unusual. Nevertheless, this week, all eyes will probably focus on Marius Borg Høiby.

Reactions To The Case

Ahead of the trial, about seven months ago, the Royal News Network on YouTube discussed the charges and the upcoming court case. At the time, plenty of people scorned the privileged elite. One of them wrote, “This breaks my heart to hear what is happening to the Royal Family with this awful brat and that dreadful guru man.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• As a Norwegian it is heartbreaking to see what is happening to the Royal family with this generation. The nation fought for hundreds of years to be free from unions, finally got their independence and their own king and 120 years after King Haakon took the throne it’s a disaster…
• The problem is, they treated him like a Royal. His mother is only Royal through marriage, so when he became an adult, he shouldn’t have been afforded Royal perks. At that point, he didn’t need a special passport, because he didn’t need to accompany his mother to official things.
• To be handed privileges most of us can’t imagine, yet do this???

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here for all your true crime news and updates.