Marius Borg Høiby Appeal Trial Set for February 2027

Marius Borg Høiby will return to court on Feb. 9, 2027, for an appeal trial in his criminal case.

The hearing will be held in the Borgarting Court of Appeal, Norway's regional appeals court for the Oslo area. It is expected to last four weeks, according to Norwegian press reports last week.

Høiby is the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne. He holds no royal title and performs no official duties.

In June, an Oslo district court sentenced him to four years in prison. The court convicted him on 34 charges, including two rapes and assault of a former girlfriend, Town & Country reported.

He had faced 40 charges in that trial. The court acquitted him on two counts of rape and two counts of violating a restraining order, BBC reported.

His appeal challenges three convictions: the two rape counts on which he was found guilty and the conviction tied to abuse during a relationship. The appeal court will hear those counts again in full. That means a complete retrial of that portion of the case, not a review of legal procedure.

Prosecutors have also appealed. They are seeking a longer sentence than the four years imposed by the district court.

They had asked for seven years and seven months before the first verdict. The defense had asked for one year and six months.

Høiby is now under house arrest at Skaugum, the official residence of the crown prince family outside Oslo. His detention has been extended to Oct. 5.

The case began with his detention by police in November 2024. In late August, he was granted leave from house arrest to attend the funeral of King Harald, CP24 reported.

No further rulings have been announced. The February hearing will determine the three challenged convictions and, through the prosecution's appeal, whether the sentence stands.