Norwegian Court Rejects Marius Borg Høiby's Bid to End House Arrest
Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, will remain under house arrest at Skaugum — the royal estate in Asker outside Oslo — after two courts turned down his request for lighter detention terms while he appeals a four-year prison sentence.
The Oslo District Court first ruled that Høiby may not leave his home except for work, school, medical treatment, and visiting family, after Norwegian police filed to keep him under house arrest for an additional four weeks. Høiby and his legal team argued against the extension, but the court agreed with police. Norway's Borgarting Court of Appeal then rejected his appeal of that decision, keeping the house-arrest conditions in place (Hola).
The prosecution stated that the risk of recidivism — the likelihood of reoffending — had not been sufficiently reduced to consider releasing him. Høiby argued in court that he had done everything he could to show prosecutors there was no risk of recurrence, and claimed the prosecution had earlier indicated he should be released (Hello!).
His current detention order runs to 7 September, though further filings to extend it may be made. He has been wearing an ankle bracelet and confined to Skaugum for roughly a month.
The case began on 15 June 2026, when the Oslo District Court found Høiby guilty on two counts of rape and of assault, and cleared him of two additional rape charges. The trial spanned 40 charges in total, including four counts of rape (BBC News). Prosecutors had sought seven years and seven months in prison. His defence lawyers called for 18 months. The court sentenced him to four years (Town & Country).
Høiby filed his appeal one week after the sentencing (Yahoo News). Because the appeal is pending, his conviction is not yet legally binding. He was held in custody over concerns he might reoffend while the appeal works through the courts.
Høiby is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, Norway's heir to the throne. He holds no royal title and has no formal role in the royal house. The conviction has dented the Norwegian royal family's traditional popularity, according to Reuters (Reuters).
Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who has been recovering from a lung transplant, was discharged from hospital around the same time her son was placed under house arrest. The timing placed the two events — a mother's recovery and a son's sentencing — in the same news cycle.
The appeal of Høiby's conviction now proceeds through the Norwegian courts. Until it is resolved, he remains at Skaugum, wearing an ankle bracelet and waiting for 7 September — or whatever the courts decide next.
