A court in Oslo, Norway, convicted Marius Borg Høiby on 15 June 2026 of rape and domestic violence. Høiby is the stepson of Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, according to NRK.

The case against him included 40 separate charges. Four of those charges were for rape against four different women. There were also multiple charges of domestic violence. One of the alleged rapes took place after Høiby had already been arrested and was in police custody — a detail that made the case more complicated for prosecutors, as NRK reported.

When the trial started in February 2026, Høiby said he was not guilty of the rape charges, Reuters reported. His lawyers argued that the prosecution had not provided enough evidence to prove the rape charges and asked the court to dismiss all of the charges against him, NRK reported.

Prosecutors asked the court to give Høiby a prison sentence of seven years and seven months. In Norway, the court makes its decision about guilt and punishment at the same time, not in separate steps.

The case attracted a lot of public attention in Norway, but not mainly because of Høiby's connection to the royal family. Instead, people were following it because of how large and complicated it was — 40 charges, multiple accusers, and allegations spanning a long period. Because there were so many charges, a full acquittal (being found not guilty on every single charge) seemed unlikely. His defence team chose to challenge the evidence for each charge one at a time, rather than telling a different story about what happened.

The royal family stayed visible during the court case. Having a family member — even one who is not in line to become king — involved in such a serious case put the institution in an awkward position without a clear modern precedent.

This case may have lasting effects on how Norwegian courts handle similar cases in the future. The structure of this case — multiple victims, multiple types of crimes, and some charges arising after an arrest — is something prosecutors are seeing more often. The court's verdict provides a record that may guide how courts approach these kinds of cases going forward.