Before tying the knot with Mette-Marit, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon had his heart set on another captivating blonde Norwegian, who later found herself linked to the infamous Jeffrey Epstein. The release of the Epstein Files exposed the expansive web of connections Epstein had woven with politicians, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and even royal figures. Among those named was Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who was mentioned numerous times in the documents. Emails revealed that she had visited Epstein’s Palm Beach, Florida, residence back in 2013.

However, Mette-Marit wasn’t the sole connection between Epstein and Crown Prince Haakon. Prior to his 2001 marriage, Haakon was romantically involved for two years with Celina Midelfart, a striking Norwegian heiress. Allegations surfaced that Epstein had strayed from Ghislaine Maxwell, his notorious associate, with Celina. During Maxwell’s New York sexual trafficking trial in 2021, testimony from her former assistant claimed that flowers were sent to Celina on Epstein’s behalf while he was still seeing Maxwell. A photograph from 1997 captures a young Celina, then a college student, giving Epstein a kiss on the cheek at a charity event hosted at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Celina later clarified that her relationship with Epstein was not intimate, describing him as merely one of many acquaintances.

Celina was briefly involved with Donald Trump before he moved on to his current wife, Melania Trump, the U.S. First Lady. Her list of famous suitors also includes pop sensation Robbie Williams, though her romantic journey eventually led her to marry billionaire Tor Olav Trøim in 2009, before they later parted ways. Being named in the Epstein Files does not imply any culpability in Epstein’s reprehensible activities. Celina hails from a prominent lineage; she is the granddaughter of Ole Midelfart, the founder of a Norwegian cosmetics empire established in 1923, and the daughter of businessman Finn-Erik Midelfart and 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. ‘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. 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 sexual 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 sexual offender.

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 sexual assault.

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.