Crown and Controversy - Norway

The trial of Marius Borg Høiby moved closer to its final phase as Oslo District Court continued reviewing one of the largest pieces of evidence in the case — more than 800 pages of private messages between Høiby and influencer Nora Haukland. Some of the exchanges showed affection and support, including messages where Høiby encouraged Haukland after she was eliminated from the reality series Kompan...

The trial of Marius Borg Høiby continued in Oslo as new witnesses described the chaotic aftermath of the violent night at the center of the case. A friend of the woman known in court as the Frogner woman testified that she received a late-night call for help around 2:30 a.m., saying, “Marius has trashed my apartment and beaten me,” before the shaken woman arrived at her home with visible injuries....

A dramatic day in the Oslo courtroom brings explosive new details in the trial of Marius Borg Høiby. Judges refuse to release him from pre-trial detention, citing fears he could commit new crimes if freed. A close friend of the so-called “Frogner woman” delivers emotional testimony describing alleged violence, a shattered apartment, and a relationship marked by fear and reconciliation. Prosecutors...

There was no court session Monday in the trial of Marius Borg Høiby, but the case still produced major developments as the proceedings enter their sixth week. Høiby’s defense team has formally asked Oslo District Court to release him from custody after five  weeks of detention. His lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenæs, confirmed that a petition requesting his release has been submitted. Prosecutors oppos...

As the trial of Marius Borg Høiby continues to dominate headlines in Norway, attention is increasingly turning to the wider implications for the royal family — particularly Crown Princess Mette-Marit. A regional scouting organization has now called for her suspension as patron, arguing that institutions connected to the monarchy must reconsider their ties while the case involving her son unfolds....

Trial week 5: Frogner woman testifies for first time. New Feb 1 indictment (reckless conduct, restraining order breach during trial). Witness possibly tried to influence her, police investigation opened. Sophie Elise: "pose photo" not intentional. Oslo Scene witness: "no doubt he went for a chokehold." Messages: "You have to choose. Me or Farmen." NRK faces 400,000 kroner fine. Frogner woman: "did...

The fifth week of the trial of Marius Borg Høiby ended with dramatic testimony about the violent confrontation on August 4, 2024 — the incident that triggered the police investigation and the sweeping indictment now before the Oslo court. Taking the stand, Høiby disputed parts of the Frogner woman’s account but admitted key elements of the fight. “I remember that I slapped her,” he told the court....

A pivotal day in Oslo District Court as Marius Borg Høiby took the stand to respond directly to the testimony of the woman known as the “Frogner woman,” who is connected to many of the charges against him. Høiby told the court he did not recognize much of her account, saying, “I felt that a lot was exaggerated, and some of it simply wasn’t true.” During hours of testimony he acknowledged several i...

One of the most consequential phases of the Marius Borg Høiby trial is now underway as the woman known in Norwegian media as the “Frogner woman” begins two days of testimony. She is connected to twenty of the forty criminal counts in the case. In emotional evidence, she told the court the relationship did not begin with violence but gradually escalated from jealousy, drugs and insecurity. She desc...

Dramatic developments in Oslo District Court as prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø announces a new additional indictment against Marius Borg Høiby — alleging reckless conduct and breach of a restraining order involving the so-called Frogner woman just days before trial began. According to the indictment, Høiby is accused of calling her an “unfaithful whore,” breaking his phone, grabbing her as she tried...

uesday’s proceedings in the trial of Marius Borg Høiby shifted from live witnesses to the documentary core of the case. A close friend of Nora Haukland told the court she “quickly got a feeling that something was not right,” describing an incident where he was “very angry” and an alleged chokehold that left her “very scared.”Neighbours testified about a night of intense noise — “Shit is going down...

The Høiby trial barrels into its most explosive stretch as a new complainant prepares to testify and her lawyer raises concerns about possible witness influence behind the scenes. Prosecutors continue their marathon reading of private messages they say reveal a cycle of tension and reconciliation, while the court scrambles to stay on schedule. With Høiby set to return to the stand and a psychiatri...

Trial week 4 focuses on Nora Haukland domestic abuse charge. Police officer Mina Bankerud explains "wheel of violence": tension, conflict, honeymoon phase. Messages show cycle: apologies ("I'm sorry for being an idiot") followed by conflict. "Pose photo" controversy: Haukland holding white powder. Høiby: "PR strategy from end to end. It's Norway's biggest influencer." Emotional about Crown Prince/...

Week four ends with the Høiby trial now firmly centered on the close-relationship abuse charge involving Nora Haukland. Police read extensive message exchanges and explain the “wheel of violence,” while witnesses describe frequent arguments, alleged control, and what they say Haukland told them during the relationship. A friend of both parties, Danby Choi, says he saw shouting but no physical viol...

A controversial “pose photo” posted by Sophie Elise Isachsen becomes central to the trial as Marius Borg Høiby claims it was deliberate PR, not an accident, and describes it as a crisis for his family. In court, he admits smashing phones, throwing one “into a thousand pieces,” and having a long-standing anger problem, but denies strangulation and assault allegations tied to the Alta incident. Juro...

King Harald, 89, is hospitalized in Tenerife with infection and dehydration, prompting a palace update and fresh questions about succession, with Crown Prince Haakon next in line and Mette-Marit’s role poised to shift instantly if required. In Oslo District Court, Marius Borg Høiby grows emotional as he disputes Nora Haukland’s abuse allegations, admits heavy drinking and pushing incidents, but de...

Week four of the trial of Marius Borg Høiby took a dramatic turn in Oslo District Court as Nora Haukland continued her testimony — including graphic audio played in court — before Høiby returned to the stand to deny violence and reject what he called a relationship he does not recognize. We'll leave the details out of the epsiode description as some are graphic. Proceedings adjourned with Høiby se...

The trial of Marius Borg Høiby has moved into a critical new phase, focusing on the charge of mishandling in a close relationship involving Nora Haukland. Under Norwegian law, prosecutors must prove not isolated incidents but a sustained “regime of violence or intimidation.”This week, the court is reviewing an extensive archive of messages between the two to determine whether the relationship was...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has returned Norway’s Order of St. Olav, one of the country’s highest royal honours, according to the Norwegian Royal Palace. The palace confirmed only that he “has chosen to return his order,” offering no further explanation under confidentiality rules. Meanwhile in Oslo, the trial of Marius Borg Høiby continues this week, with Nora Haukland expected to complete her tes...

Father of victim testifies: "Anger. A lot of anger from me toward Marius Borg Høiby. I am a father, plain and simple. It is biology — we are born with a protective instinct." Daughter told him she met "the prince," then police showed her videos: "She was in shock." Hotel victim testimony: 27 videos recovered, "He would never finish. He wouldn't stop. I was afraid." Videos stored at Royal Palace ad...

Influencer and former Love Island Norway contestant Nora Haukland delivered harrowing testimony in Oslo District Court, describing what prosecutors call a “regime of fear” during her relationship with Marius Borg Høiby. Høiby denies criminal guilt. Haukland told the court she was pushed onto a sofa at Skaugum, grabbed by the throat, slapped and screamed at. “All I see in his eyes is just hate,” sh...

Thursday’s session in the trial of Marius Borg Høiby marked a decisive shift as the defendant gave his own detailed account of the November 2024 hotel encounter at the center of one of the rape charges. Høiby acknowledged that he filmed 27 videos found on his phone from that night and admitted he did not explicitly ask for permission to record, but insisted there was “no doubt” the woman knew she...

Day ten of the trial of Marius Borg Høiby brought powerful testimony from a new complainant who alleges she was assaulted at a Forenom apart-hotel in Oslo in November 2024. She told the court the evening began with a flirtatious after-party atmosphere following an Aqua concert but ended in fear, confusion and panic. Both sides agree there was consensual sex shortly after arriving at the hotel. The...

The Marius Borg Høiby rape trial continued in Oslo District Court with testimony from a victim's father, a sleep researcher, and multiple witnesses. Prosecutors presented evidence that Høiby activated an encrypted photo vault app hours after the alleged assault, with billing tied to Slottsplassen 1 — the Norwegian Royal Palace. Sleep expert Ståle Pallesen explained how sleep deprivation and medica...

Crown Princess Mette-Marit faces mounting international scrutiny as German media coverage of the Epstein revelations and the criminal trial of her son, Marius Borg Høiby, intensifies. A Berlin-based journalist claims her reputation in Germany is “completely destroyed,” while the rest of the Norwegian royal family continues official duties abroad, leaving the Crown Princess at Skaugum. Defence lawy...