Norwegian Crown Princess's Son Found Guilty of Rape and Abuse

A court in Norway convicted Marius Borg Høiby of rape, assault, and abuse on 15 June 2026, ABC News reported. Høiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, one of the most prominent members of the Norwegian royal family. He faced 38 separate charges, Reuters reported when the trial began in February 2026.

Lawyers for the government asked the court to sentence Høiby to more than seven years in prison, according to Reuters. The court has not yet announced what sentence it actually gave him.

Just days before this verdict, Høiby lost a separate legal fight. He had asked to be released from jail while waiting for the verdict, saying his mother was seriously ill and he wanted to be with her. A Norwegian court rejected that request on 10 June, the BBC reported. The court's decision to keep him locked up sent a message about how seriously it took the case. Courts typically only refuse to let someone out when the charges are severe and involve violence.

The 38 charges tell us something important: they cover rape and many separate incidents of assault and abuse. This kind of long list of charges in one case usually means the alleged behaviour happened multiple times and probably involved more than one person. The government's request for seven or more years in prison shows prosecutors considered this serious — that length of sentence is at the top of the range for domestic violence and sexual violence cases in Norway.

Mette-Marit is not Høiby's biological mother — he was born before she married Crown Prince Haakon — but they have a close relationship. His arrest in August 2023 on different domestic-violence charges created an uncomfortable situation for the Norwegian royal family in public view. Norwegian courts treat everyone the same way, whether you are royal or not. There is no sign that Høiby received any special legal treatment.

This case is unprecedented for the Norwegian royal house. No member of a ruling monarch's immediate circle has ever faced such charges before. The palace has stayed quiet through the ordeal since 2023, with Mette-Marit releasing statements that acknowledged her son's struggles. Whether the court's verdict now leads to any official response from the palace will become clearer over the coming days.

The next step is for the court to announce Høiby's prison sentence — or it may have already done so along with the verdict. If the sentence is long enough, Høiby or his lawyers can appeal it to Norway's highest court. That means this verdict may not be the final word.