Crown and Controversy - Norway

Marius Borg Høiby’s appeal means Norway’s most consequential royal criminal case will continue well into next year. We break down the appeal, the prosecution’s demand for a tougher sentence, Queen Sonja’s update on Mette-Marit’s recovery, preparations for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s silver wedding anniversary, and new analysis suggesting public confidence in Norway’s monarchy has fundame...

Who is Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, why did she give up her royal duties, and what happened when the King's daughter married American self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett at a fjord-side wedding sold to Hello magazine and Netflix? In this episode we explain who Durek Verrett is, what he claims about spirits, healing medallions and cancer, why the Norwegian press called him a con man, and why...

The verdict is in, the appeal is filed, and Norway is left asking the harder questions. We step back from the daily news cycle to examine what the Marius Borg Høiby case has actually revealed about the Norwegian royal family, why royal expert Tove Taalesen says the biggest consequence is not the prison sentence but the loss of the royal family's private life, what PR experts are now advising the p...

Norway’s royal family faces one of the most dramatic weeks in its modern history. Crown Princess Mette-Marit undergoes a successful double lung transplant after years of battling pulmonary fibrosis, while her eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, begins a four-year prison sentence following his criminal conviction. We examine the extraordinary timing of the transplant, the surge in organ donor registrati...

Marius Borg Høiby was sentenced to four years in prison on Monday for two counts of rape and domestic violence — and within five hours he had announced he was appealing. What does the appeal mean for the victims, for the case timeline, and for a Norwegian monarchy already managing a Crown Princess on a lung transplant waiting list? We also cover the story Norwegian media is calling the real scanda...

At eight thirty on Monday morning in Courtroom 250 of the Oslo District Court, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad read out a unanimous verdict that will define the Norwegian monarchy for years to come. Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was convicted of two counts of rape, domestic violence against former girlfriend Nora Haukland, and twenty-eight other offences, and sentenced to f...

On Monday morning, a Norwegian court will deliver its verdict in the case of Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Norway’s future king. As Norway prepares for a decision on forty criminal charges, a dramatic appeals court ruling has ensured that Marius will remain in prison through the verdict. At the same time, Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on the l...

Who is Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and how did a working-class single mother from Kristiansand become Norway's future queen? In this episode we tell the full story, from her dissolute past and her extraordinary pre-wedding television apology in 2001, through two decades of genuine royal service, to the Jeffrey Epstein correspondence revealed in the 2026 DOJ files and the question of why...

Who is Marius Borg Høiby, and why is the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit facing trial on forty criminal charges including four counts of rape? In this episode we explain how Marius was raised inside the Norwegian royal family without ever officially belonging to it, why the Norwegian press nicknamed him Little Marius after an illegitimate character in an 1883 novel, and what the charges...

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has made a striking return to royal duty while using oxygen support in public for the first time, underscoring the seriousness of her health challenges. We also look at the full Crown Prince family appearing together amid mounting scrutiny, and Nora Haukland’s new interview about her relationship with Marius Borg Høiby as the case moves closer to a verdict AI is sometime...

Norway’s Supreme Court has issued a significant ruling that could matter a great deal in the Marius Borg Høiby case, particularly on the sexual assault charges involving women prosecutors say were asleep or otherwise unable to resist. The decision does not affect the question of guilt or innocence, but it could influence sentencing if Høiby is convicted on any of those counts. We break down what t...

Sunday prison visit: Haakon, Mette-Marit, and Sverre Magnus photographed arriving at Oslo Prison to see Marius. Appeals court rules Marius remains in detention until June verdict, rejects release request. Court cites "strong probability" of reoffending, points to Valentine's Day restraining order breach while in custody (flowers and letter to Frogner woman through third party). Defense argued medi...

Marius Borg Høiby will remain in custody after losing his appeal, while a major Supreme Court ruling on so-called sleep rape cases has opened a new legal front ahead of the expected June verdict. There is also growing backlash over how the Norwegian media covered the trial. AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language ne...

Crown Princess Mette-Marit returned to public duties during the Belgian state visit, but the fallout from her Epstein interview continues. New criticism of the Palace’s media strategy, questions about how the NRK interview was handled, and a wave of opinion pieces suggest the story is far from settled. AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and inte...

An appeals court has ruled that Marius Borg Høiby will remain in pre-trial detention, rejecting his request for release ahead of a verdict expected in early June. The court cited a “strong probability” of reoffending, pointing in part to a restraining order breach during the trial, when Høiby arranged to send flowers and a letter to the Frogner woman. His defense argued that intense media scrutiny...

Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were seen arriving at Oslo Prison alongside Prince Sverre Magnus, just days after the trial of Marius Borg Høiby concluded. While prison visits are routine, the timing and visibility of this one have drawn significant attention, reading as a clear show of support as the family awaits a verdict expected in early June. We break down where the case s...

Trial paused Tuesday (judge ill), resumed Wednesday. Prosecution closing arguments: Henriksbø says Marius "not monster... but must be held accountable." Four "sleep rape" allegations detailed. Skaugum woman videos: "appears to be sleeping, absence of sound." Lofoten woman's pulse watch data: woke from deep sleep twice, "just after defendant filmed her genital area." Nachspiel woman: sleeping table...

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken publicly for the first time about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, saying she was “manipulated and deceived” and taking responsibility for not investigating him more thoroughly. In a highly personal interview with NRK, conducted alongside Crown Prince Haakon, she acknowledged spending time at Epstein’s Palm Beach property, described a moment tha...

The trial of Marius Borg Høiby has officially concluded after more than six weeks in court, with the case now in the hands of judges and a verdict expected in early June. On the final day, the defense pushed for acquittal on the most serious charges, including four alleged rapes and abuse in a close relationship, arguing there is not enough evidence to meet the legal standard of proof beyond a rea...

The trial of Marius Borg Høiby is entering its final phase, with prosecutors now calling for a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison. The recommendation follows a request for conviction on 39 of 40 charges, including multiple rape allegations, domestic abuse, violence, threats, and drug offenses. We break down the prosecution’s case, including claims that the women’s accounts are supp...

The situation surrounding Norway’s Royal Family is showing no signs of easing, with new developments suggesting the pressure is widening rather than stabilising. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has made a rare public appearance after more than five weeks out of view, visiting Oslo prison with Crown Prince Haakon, where her son remains in custody. The visit, which lasted about an hour and included a pol...

The final phase of the trial of Marius Borg Høiby has begun in Oslo District Court after six weeks of testimony and evidence. State prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø opened closing arguments by telling the court that while Høiby should not be demonized, he must be held accountable for his actions. Prosecutors walked the court through four allegations of what Norwegian law calls “sleep rape,” describing...

After more than six weeks of testimony, digital evidence and hundreds of pages of private messages read aloud in court, the trial of Marius Borg Høiby has now reached its final stage. Prosecutors began delivering their closing arguments in Oslo District Court, outlining how they believe the evidence presented over the past several weeks supports the charges against him. The prosecution is expected...

This week on Palace Intrigue: Norway, the trial of Marius Borg Høiby entered its sixth week and showed no signs of losing its power to shock. The court heard from friends of the Frogner woman who described the violent aftermath of August 4, 2024, in vivid and heartbreaking detail — including one witness who recalled the victim saying she could "handle being hit" as long as Høiby was alright. The d...

As the trial of Marius Borg Høiby enters its final phase, one of the most revealing pieces of evidence has been the massive archive of private messages exchanged between Høiby and influencer Nora Haukland. The conversations — spanning more than 800 pages — have been read aloud in court over several days and paint a complex portrait of a relationship that moved repeatedly between affection, jealous...