Summary: Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess, faces an additional indictment that adds six counts — including a "serious narcotics offence" linked to 3.5 kilos of marijuana that he has admitted — to a case in which he is accused of raping four women. Høiby was originally charged on Aug. 18 with four rapes and 28 other offences; he denies the most serious allegations but expects to plead guilty to some lesser charges. The trial will be heard in Oslo district court from Feb. 3 to March 13.
Norwegian Crown Princess's Son Hit With New Drug, Restraining-Order and Traffic Charges Ahead of Rape Trial
Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, is seen June 16, 2022, in Oslo, Norway. / Credit: Hakon Mosvold Larsen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images(HAKON MOSVOLD LARSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)
The son of Norway's Crown Princess has been hit with additional charges ahead of a high-profile rape trial, prosecutors said Monday. Marius Borg Høiby, 29, who is due to stand trial in February accused of raping four women, received a fresh indictment that adds six counts to the case file.
New charges and admissions
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo said the new indictment includes a "serious narcotics offence" linked to a 2020 incident involving about 3.5 kilos of marijuana. Henriksbo said Høiby has admitted that offence. Høiby's lawyer Ellen Holager Andenaes told Norwegian news agency NTB that her client "on one occasion transported marijuana from A to B without earning a penny."
Two of the new counts concern alleged breaches of restraining orders, and three are traffic offences for riding a motorcycle at high speed, Henriksbo added. The additional indictment will be sent to Oslo district court to be considered alongside the main hearing, which begins on February 3.
Background to the case
Høiby was first charged on Aug. 18 with four counts of rape and 28 other offences, including alleged acts of violence against former girlfriends. He was arrested on Aug. 4, 2024, on suspicion of assaulting a then-girlfriend.
Høiby denies the most serious allegations of rape and domestic violence but, according to his lawyer Petar Sekulic, plans to plead guilty to some lesser charges. In a public statement issued 10 days after his August 2024 arrest, Høiby said he had acted "under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument," and acknowledged struggling for a long time with substance abuse and mental health issues.
The four alleged rapes are said to have occurred in 2018, 2023 and 2024, with the most recent accusation arising after police had already opened an investigation. The trial is scheduled to run in Oslo district court from Feb. 3 until March 13.
Public and royal context
Høiby was raised by Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon and grew up alongside his step-siblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Unlike them, he holds no official public role. The case has been described in Norwegian media as one of the most significant scandals to affect the royal family in recent times.
Prosecutors say the new counts will be considered as part of the main hearing in Oslo district court beginning Feb. 3; Høiby has admitted the drug offence but continues to dispute the most serious allegations.
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