Marius Borg Høiby received a four-year prison term after a trial that drew wide attention in Norway.
OSLO, NORWAY — Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was convicted Monday of two counts of rape and other crimes and sentenced to four years in prison by Oslo District Court.
The verdict closed one stage of a case that has drawn rare public pressure around Norway’s royal household. Høiby, 29, is not a royal and has no official duties, but he grew up in public view after his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. Prosecutors had sought a longer sentence after a trial that examined rape allegations, violence, drug offenses and breaches of court orders.
The court found Høiby guilty of two rape counts, domestic violence and other offenses after a trial that lasted several weeks in Oslo. The case included allegations tied to incidents from 2018 to 2024, according to court proceedings reported during the trial. Høiby denied the rape allegations but admitted some lesser offenses, including drug-related conduct and some violence-related counts. His lawyers argued that the sentence should be far lower than the one sought by prosecutors, saying he had faced extreme public attention because of his family ties. The verdict was delivered in a packed courthouse, with journalists following a case that has been one of Norway’s most closely watched criminal trials of the year.
Høiby was accused in a broad indictment that, at earlier stages, included four rape counts and dozens of other charges. The court convicted him on two rape counts and acquitted him on two others, according to reports from the verdict. One of the rape counts involved an incident at Skaugum, the crown prince and crown princess’s residence outside Oslo. Prosecutors also presented messages, video evidence and testimony from several women during the trial. The court ordered Høiby to pay compensation to victims, with reported damages totaling hundreds of thousands of Norwegian kroner. His defense team said it planned to appeal, leaving the case open beyond Monday’s sentence.
The case has placed unusual scrutiny on Norway’s royal family, even though Høiby is a private citizen. He is the son of Mette-Marit from a relationship before her marriage to Haakon, Norway’s heir to the throne. Høiby has appeared with the family at public events over the years, but he does not hold a title, does not represent the monarchy and is not in the line of succession. The accusations became public during a wider police investigation that led to multiple arrests in 2024 and 2025. The trial also unfolded as Crown Princess Mette-Marit faced serious health problems tied to pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease she has spoken about publicly in past years.
Høiby has been held in custody during part of the case, and requests for release or less restrictive detention were contested before the verdict. Prosecutors argued during the proceedings that the charges showed a pattern of risk, while the defense said his health, family situation and public exposure should weigh in his favor. The court’s four-year sentence was below the seven years and seven months prosecutors had requested. The defense had asked for a much shorter prison term. With an appeal expected, the case could move to a higher court, where judges may review both the convictions and the sentence.
The verdict drew attention because of its legal weight and because of Høiby’s link to a royal family that has long held strong public support in Norway. Crown Prince Haakon has previously said the matter was serious and that the legal process should take its course. The palace has generally avoided detailed comment on the accusations. During the trial, testimony focused on the women’s accounts, Høiby’s conduct and digital material presented as evidence. The court’s findings mean that at least two of the rape allegations were proven beyond the legal threshold, while others were not. Several details about the court’s full reasoning were still being assessed Monday as lawyers reviewed the judgment.
As of Monday, Høiby faces a four-year prison sentence, compensation orders and a likely appeal. The next milestone is the defense’s formal appeal process, which will determine whether the case returns to court for another review.
Author note: Last updated June 15, 2026.