Before tying the knot with Mette-Marit, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway was reportedly captivated by another stunning blonde Norwegian, who was later connected to the controversial figure Jeffrey Epstein.
The unveiling of the Epstein Files has shed light on the extensive reach of the late financier’s network, which included a mix of politicians, business leaders, celebrities, and even royalty.
Among those associated with Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019, is Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
Documents reveal that Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the spouse of Norway’s future King Haakon, appeared in the Epstein Files numerous times. Emails indicate she stayed at Epstein’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2013.
Intriguingly, the 52-year-old royal is not the only connection between Epstein and Crown Prince Haakon, who is also 52.
Prior to his 2001 marriage, Haakon had a two-year romance with Celina Midelfart, a glamorous Norwegian heiress. It is alleged that Epstein had an affair with Midelfart, reportedly cheating on Ghislaine Maxwell with her.
During the disgraced British socialite’s New York sex trafficking trial in 2021, her former assistant claimed she sent Celina flowers on Epstein’s behalf around the same time he was dating Maxwell.
A photo from 1997 showed Celina, then a student, planting a kiss on Epstein’s cheek during a charity reception at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-lago resort.
Celina later denied she had a ‘close relationship’ with Epstein and has said he was merely part of a circle of acquaintances
Before he married Mette-Marit, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon was enamoured by another gorgeous blonde Norwegian woman who was also later linked to Jeffrey Epstein
Among the high-profile individuals linked to the paedophile financier, who died by suicide in 2019, was Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit
However, the Norwegian royal, 52, isn’t the only person linking Epstein with Crown Prince Haakon, 52. Before his marriage in 2021, Haakon was in a two-year relationship with a glamorous blonde Norwegian heiress, Celina Midelfart (pictured in 1997) – who Epstein allegedly ‘cheated on’ Ghislaine Maxwell with
The American president was in a brief relationship with Celina before he left her to pursue his now-wife, US First Lady Melania Trump.
Celina’s other famous boyfriends included pop star Robbie Williams, before the businesswoman found love with her now ex-husband, billionaire Tor Olav Trøim, in 2009.
Being named in the Epstein Files does not assume any guilt or wrongdoing connected to the paedophile financier’s abhorrent crimes.
Celina is the granddaughter of Ole Midelfart, who founded his eponymous Norwegian cosmetics company in 1923.
Her father was businessman Finn-Erik Midelfart, while her mother is socialite Kristin Hermine Muhle.
While she enjoyed a close relationship with her father, Celina reportedly said of her mother that she is ‘almost more fond of animals than humans’.
Having grown up in Oslo, Celina enrolled at the London School of Economics to study economics with management in 1994.
She later transferred to New York University’s Stern School of Business and graduated with a Bachelor of Science summa cum laude in Finance in 1998.
In 1995, her father died, and she took over the running of the family’s health and beauty care business, Midelfart AS.
In a 2005 documentary, her ex-boyfriend Petter Stordalen explained they had a close bond before his death, saying: ‘She remembers her father as if it were yesterday.
The American president was in a brief relationship with Celina before he left her to pursue his now-wife, Melania Trump
‘If you talk to Celina about her father, it is a vivid picture that is presented.’
Meanwhile, her mother remarried after she fell in love with Nicholas Paus, a real estate investor and member of the respected Paus family in Norway.
It was during this period that Celina is said to have been the woman that Donald Trump dumped to date Melania Trump, his third wife.
The former president supposedly ditched her in 1998, after she was linked to the disgraced financier.
Trump and Celina were supposedly on a night out at the Kit Kat Club in New York when he saw Melania and asked her for her number.
Melania refused, but Trump persisted and she eventually agreed to go out with him.
Despite their history, in a 2008 interview, Trump spoke fondly of Celina, calling her a ‘wonderful person and businesswoman.’
She later said she was following Trump’s run in the 2016 with ‘excitement and wonder like many others’.
Celina was appointed chairman of Midelfart AS in 2000, later selling the operative business to Procter & Gamble and Midsona AB, respectively.
She continued to work in business, and became Executive Chairman and 100 per cent owner of the investment company Midelfart Capital AS, which she remains to this day.
Meanwhile, she is also a large shareholder and board member of the Swedish consumer finance bank Avida AB.
In the same 2005 documentary, her ex-boyfriend Stordalen said that ‘the focus on Celina has gone completely wrong’.
He explained: ‘It’s more about what she looks like and what she’s wearing, than what she says.
‘And a lot of good and thoughtful things come from her. She is a reflective 30-year-old.
‘What you see as you get to know her is that she is a very humorous, sporty and fun girl with a fantastic mood,’ he said.
She began dating Norwegian business tycoon, Tor Olav Troim in 2005, before the pair announced their engagement in 2009.
Celina and her now ex-husband Tor Olav Troim at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill at The Royal Palace on June 8, 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden
In 2011, Celina gave birth to their only child, a son named Olav.
While Celina and Tor lived in London for a number of years, she moved back to Oslo with Olav after they separated.
The elusive Norwegian heiress rarely gives interviews or makes public appearances, with her last high profile event being Princess Madeline’s wedding to Christopher O’Neill in 2013.
Celina was first associated with Epstein in 2021 during his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial in New York.
Ghislaine’s former assistant Cimberly Espinosa, who initially worked for Epstein, described a parade of women, including Celina, visiting the convicted paedophile.
Ms Espinosa said she remembered ordering flowers for Celina on Epstein’s behalf during the early years of her employment in the Nineties.
That was the time that Epstein was dating Maxwell as well, the court heard.
However, Celina has since denied the allegations, telling VG.no: ‘The claim is untrue. I’ve never had a relationship with or dated Epstein.
‘I’ve never had a close relationship with Epstein. He was part of the circle of acquaintances around Donald Trump, of which it is known that I was also a part for a short period.
‘I have not had anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein since 1997.’
After her friendship with Epstein was revealed last month, Mette-Marit later issued a grovelling apology as she said the emails do ‘not represent the person I want to be’.
It was the second apology issued by Mette-Marit within a week, after she released a statement following the publication of the files in which she said she had ‘shown poor judgment’ and regretted any contact with Epstein.
Mette-Marit’s communications and contacts with Epstein have put her in the spotlight over the past week, adding to the embarrassment to the royals just as her son went on trial in Oslo for multiple offenses, including charges of rape.
The newly released documents include email exchanges showing that Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013.
Broadcaster NRK reported that the stay was arranged through a mutual friend, which was later confirmed by the royal household.
The royal palace said Friday that Mette-Marit wants to talk about what happened and explain herself in more detail, but is unable to at present.
It added that she is in a very difficult situation and ‘hopes for understanding that she needs time to gather her thoughts.’
The palace also issued a statement from the crown princess in which she reiterated her deep regret for her past friendship with Epstein.
‘It is important for me to apologize to all of you whom I have disappointed,’ she said. ‘Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be.
‘I also apologise for the situation I have put the Royal Family in, especially the King and Queen.’
King Harald, 88, and the royals are generally popular in Norway, but the case against Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, has been a problem for the family’s image since 2024 and the latest Epstein files have compounded that.
