Crown Princess' Son: Rape Trial Has Portrayed Me as 'a Monster'

Lawyers for the eldest son of Norway's crown princess called on Thursday for his acquittal on charges of rape, as six weeks of high-profile court proceedings that have cast a shadow over the royal family drew to a close. Prosecutors this week sought a prison sentence of seven years and seven months for Marius Borg Høiby, who denies the rape allegations. A verdict is expected at a later date, reports the AP. Høiby, 29, is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit by a previous marriage and the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to Norway's throne. He is charged with 40 offenses in total, including four counts of rape between 2018 and 2024 involving women who prosecutors say were unable to give consent because they were asleep or otherwise incapacitated.

Defense lawyers for Høiby, who has no royal titles or official duties, said that there was no evidence of rape in any of the cases. Mette-Marit separately has faced scrutiny in recent weeks over her connections with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That has raised questions over her judgment, though she is not accused of any wrongdoing. Around 70 witnesses have testified at the trial and hundreds of text messages and pieces of digital evidence were presented. Prosecutors pointed to photos and videos recovered from Høiby's phone.

During his trial, Høiby has denied engaging sexually with sleeping women and said the encounters were consensual. He has admitted to a number of lesser offenses, including drug possession, transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana in 2020, traffic violations, and breaches of a restraining order involving a former partner. He has also partially admitted to acts related to violence and threats, but disputes key aspects of those allegations, including intent.

The defense argued that Høiby has lived under extraordinary media pressure due to his royal connections, which they said has shaped both public perception and the context of the case. In court, Høiby said the scrutiny had "erased him as a person," adding that he had been shunned by much of his social circle and struggled with depression. "My whole life is common property," he said. "I am no longer Marius, I'm a monster."