Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the firstborn of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of Norway’s heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Unlike his royal family connections, Høiby holds no royal title and does not engage in any official duties.

In a dramatic courtroom scene, Høiby stood for 24 minutes in Oslo’s district court as Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø meticulously read through the 38 charges levied against him. When asked if he pleaded guilty, Høiby resolutely responded with “no” to the most severe accusations, which include four counts of rape.

The array of charges against him extends beyond these, encompassing abuse in close relationships involving a former partner, violent acts against another, and the transportation of 3.5 kilograms of marijuana. Additional allegations include making death threats and a series of traffic violations.

Høiby did, however, acknowledge guilt for several driving violations, an aggravated drugs offense, and breaching a restraining order. He partially admitted to making threats and committing aggravated assault.

During the proceedings, Høiby, dressed in a brown sweater and beige trousers, spoke softly and frequently consulted with his lawyer. To ensure clarity, a court official adjusted the microphone to better capture his responses.

Should Høiby be found guilty, prosecutors have indicated that he could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The trial, which is anticipated to continue until March 19, will see testimony from seven alleged victims.

“There is equality before the law,” Henriksbø told the court.

“The defendant is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. He shall nevertheless be treated in the same way as any other person who is charged with the same offences.”

Henriksbø spent the morning setting out, sometimes in graphic detail, the case against Høiby.

The defendant sat between defence lawyers Ellen Holager Andenæs and Petar Sekulic for the beginning of the trial and moved later to a table behind them, where he fiddled with a chain while the prosecutor outlined the allegations.

Reflecting international interest in the trial, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad addressed the court in English, warning that it was prohibited to record or take photographs in the courtroom and advising that some witness testimony would be heard behind closed doors.

The investigation began in 2024. Police were first called to an apartment in Oslo’s upscale Frogner neighbourhood in early August that year following reports of a violent incident.

Høiby was arrested and later released, but the case expanded as additional women came forward with allegations against him.

The indictment that prosecutors filed last year centres on four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023; and two alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, along with violations of a restraining order.

It was expanded in January, when Høiby was charged with six new offences, including possession and delivery of large quantities of marijuana and further restraining order violations.

He was free pending trial until Sunday, when police said that he was arrested over new allegations of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order.

The Oslo court on Monday granted their request to keep him in detention for up to four weeks on the grounds of a risk of reoffending. Defence lawyer Petar Sekulic said that the arrest followed an alleged “incident” involving another person on Sunday.

He declined to give details, but said that Høiby contests his detention and his legal team was considering an appeal as soon as he and the other person can provide statements to police.

Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit don’t plan to attend the trial and that the royal house doesn’t intend to comment during the proceedings.

King Harald, 88, and the royals are generally popular in Norway, but the Høiby case has been a problem for the family’s image.

The trial opened at a particularly sensitive moment for the royal family. Mette-Marit faces renewed scrutiny over her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafficking charges, following the release on Friday of a new batch of documents from the Epstein files.

They contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported.

The documents, which include email exchanges, showed that Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013. Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that the stay was arranged through a mutual friend, which was later confirmed by the royal household.

Mette-Marit said in a statement that she “must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly, and for not realising sooner what kind of person he was.”

She added: “I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing.”

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