Norway's Crown Princess Mette Marit in Epstein Files as Rape Trial against Her Son Begins | DW News

Feb 3, 2026 | A rape trial is rocking the royal family in Norway and raising questions over the future of the monarchy in the Scandinavian country.

The accused is 29-year-old Marius Borg Høiby. He's the son of Norway's Crown Princess – but outside the line of succession as he was born before his mother married into the royal family. Today in Oslo, he pleaded not guilty to the most serious of 38 counts against him – including four counts of rape. The charges also include abuse, acts of violence, transporting marijuana, and making death threats. Høiby was arrested again on Sunday on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order.

The trial gets underway just days after revelations that Høiby's mother, Crown Princess Mette Marit had extensive contact with the late U-S sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – after he was convicted of child sex crimes in 2008.

The latest release of the Epstein files contains hundreds of references to the crown princess – including personal emails between the two appearing to show a close personal friendship. Over the weekend, Crown Princess Mette-Marit issued an apology, saying she showed "poor judgement".

Son of Norway’s Crown Princess Arrested on New Charges before Start of Rape Trial

THE GUARDIAN: Marius Borg Høiby arrested on suspicion of assault and threats with knife as mother faces questions over Epstein

The son of Norway’s crown princess, Marius Borg Høiby, has been arrested on new charges just days before the start of his rape trial, as his mother continues to face questions over her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Oslo police district said Høiby had been arrested on Sunday evening on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order.

The arrest came days before Høiby, 29, stands trial on charges of 38 offences including four counts of rape, the domestic abuse of a former partner and the illegal filming of a number of women without their knowledge or consent.

The trial is expected to start in Oslo on Tuesday and take place over seven weeks. Høiby has denied the most serious charges, including those of sexual abuse. » | Miranda Bryant, Nordic correspondent | Monday, February 2, 2026

Venezuela Closes Embassy in Oslo after Opposition Leader Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

THE GUARDIAN: María Corina Machado has made downfall of Maduro regime in Venezuela her mission

Norway’s foreign ministry has said that Venezuela has closed its embassy in Oslo without giving a reason, days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel peace prize.

“We have been informed by the embassy of Venezuela that it is shutting its doors and no reason has been given,” the foreign ministry spokesperson, Cecilie Roang, told AFP.

“It is regrettable. Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction,” she said.

According to the Verdens Gang daily, which revealed the information, the embassy services were no longer answering the phone on Monday afternoon. Its numbers had been disconnected, AFP observed in the evening.

The news comes three days after Machado was awarded the Nobel peace prize in Oslo. She has made the downfall of the Chavista regime in Venezuela her mission. » | Agence France-Press in Oslo | Monday, October 13, 2025

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Supports Israel's Genocide & Trump's War on Venezuela

Oct 11, 2025 | The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, a far-right Venezuelan coup-plotter who has long been funded by the US government. She strongly supports Israel as it commits genocide against the Palestinian people, and she is at the center of Donald Trump's war on Venezuela, pushing for regime change against President Nicolás Maduro. Ben Norton exposes the ugly truth.

María Corina Machado Is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised “her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.”

María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan pro-democracy politician, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, in announcing the award, cited “her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” » | Jonathan Wolfe | Friday, October 10, 2025

The ‘Iron Lady’ of Venezuela Threatens to Unseat Its Autocrat: Spurned by the country’s authoritarian president and even her own colleagues in the opposition, María Corina Machado has built the most significant voter mobilization since Hugo Chávez. »

"He's a Monster": Father of Norway's Worst Mass Murderer Speaks Out | 60 Minutes Australia | 2012

Sep 24, 2025 | In 2011, Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage in Oslo and Utøya Island in Norway. His father, Norwegian diplomat Jens Breivik, spoke to 60 Minutes, describing his son as a "monster". | My Son, The Monster (2012)

BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Push Rejected, Oslo Sparks Outrage

Sep 12, 2025 | Donald Trump’s push for the Nobel Peace Prize has been firmly rejected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. From Oslo, officials stress that political campaigns, media hype, and presidential ambitions carry no weight in their deliberations. With 338 nominees under review, the committee insists only merit matters. This video explains the controversy, the Institute’s independence, and why Trump’s fixation is dismissed as noise, not influence.

Royal Scandal Tests Norway's Justice System | DW News

Aug 19, 2025 | Norway is facing a royal scandal. The son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Marius Borg Hoiby, has been charged with 32 criminal offences, including four counts of rape and several acts of domestic violence.

Prosecutors say the offences span several years, and also include cases where Hoiby allegedly filmed his victims without consent. The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Norway's royal palace says Hoiby holds no title and is not in line to the throne, stressing it will be up to the courts to decide his fate.


Related article here.

Son of Norway’s Crown Princess Charged with Four Counts of Rape

THE GUARDIAN: Marius Borg Høiby charged with 32 offences and could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty

Marius Borg Høiby, the son of the Norwegian crown princess, has been charged with 32 offences including four counts of rape, a prosecutor has said.

Høiby, whose mother is the crown princess, Mette-Marit, and whose stepfather is the crown prince, Haakon, Norway’s future king, is expected to stand trial early next year and could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of the most serious charges.

The charges, made public on Monday, include the rape of four different women, domestic abuse of a former partner, and illegally filming a number of women, including their genitals, without their knowledge or consent.

He is also charged with harassment of police and traffic violations. » | Miranda Bryant, Nordic correspondent | Monday, August 18, 2025

Son of Norwegian Princess Arrested On Suspicion of Rape

THE GUARDIAN: Marius Borg Holby, detained in August after an incident at a woman’s apartment in Oslo, was arrested on Monday evening

The 27-year-old son of the Norwegian crown princess, Mette-Marit, has been arrested on suspicion of rape, according to police.

Police said in a statement that Marius Borg Høiby, who was born from a relationship prior to Mette-Marit’s 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, was arrested on Monday evening. » | Agence France-Presse in Oslo | Tuesday, November 19, 2024

How Norway's Prisons Are Different from America's | NowThis

Aug 6, 2020 | NORWAY'S PRISON SYSTEM: ‘The most important thing is how we treat people’ — Norway has developed a prison system that looks a bit different from that in the U.S., which has the world’s largest incarcerated population.

Norwegian Princess Quits Royal Duties to Work with ‘Shaman’ Fiancé

THE GUARDIAN: Princess Märtha Louise will focus on alternative medicine alongside spiritual guru Durek Verrett

Princess Märtha-Louise’s relationship with ‘sixth-generation shaman’ Durek Verrett has caused waves in Norway. Photograph: Lise Åserud/NTB/AFP/Getty Images
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway has relinquished her royal duties to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiance, a self-proclaimed shaman, the palace has said.

The 51-year-old princess’s relationship with Durek Verrett, a Hollywood spiritual guru, caused waves in Norway after the “sixth-generation shaman” suggested in his book Spirit Hacking that cancer was a choice.

He also sells a medallion on his website labelled a “Spirit Optimizer”, which he claims helped him overcome Covid-19.

A poll in September found 17% of Norwegians now have a lower opinion of the generally popular royal family, nearly all citing the princess and the shaman as the reason. » | Agence France-Presse in Oslo | Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Norwegian Princess Engaged to a Shaman Gives Up Her Royal Duties: Princess Martha Louise’s belief in the supernatural has long been the subject of media fascination in Norway, but a focus on her healer fiancé proved too much. »

What's It Like Living in Norway 🇳🇴?

Apr 29, 2022 • The reality in 🇳🇴:

- Health care is a right
- College is tuition-free
- Guaranteed 28 days of paid vacation
- One year of fully-paid parental leave

A government that looks out for the needs of its people — not such a radical idea.

Kongsberg: Deadly Bow and Arrow Attack Suspect in Norway Had Converted to Islam

A man arrested over a bow and arrow attack in Norway in which five people died had converted to Islam police have said.

The 37-year-old Danish citizen is accused of the killings of four women and a man on Wednesday night in the southern town of Kongsberg.

He was arrested and questioned for several hours overnight.

Iyad el-Baghdadi: In the 'Crosshairs' of Saudi Government | Talk to Al Jazeera

Just a few months after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, another Arab dissident says his life is also in danger.

Iyad el-Baghdadi is a pro-democracy activist and strong critic of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The UK's Guardian newspaper reported that Norwegian officials took him from his home in Oslo to a secure location. There, he was told the CIA had warned Norway's government the Saudis had him "in their crosshairs".

El-Baghdadi gained popularity during the Arab Spring when he posted pro-human rights messages on social media. The Palestinian activist was granted asylum in Norway four years ago after being expelled from the United Arab Emirates for criticising Middle Eastern regimes.

In an exclusive interview, Iyad el-Baghdadi discusses an unlikely friendship with the murdered ‘Washington Post’ journalist Jamal Khashoggi and how continuing Khashoggi's work has made him a target of the Saudi government.

Iyad el-Baghdadi Faces Threat from Saudi Arabia | Al Jazeera English

A Palestinian activist who was warned by the Norwegian government of a possible threat against him from Saudi Arabia is holding a press conference for the first time.

Iyad el-Baghdadi was told that the threat had been passed on to Norwegian authorities by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. He was informed there could be several reasons why Saudi Arabia would target him.

Iyad was granted asylum in Norway four years ago and is a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

CIA Warns Arab Activist of Potential Threat from Saudi Arabia

THE GUARDIAN: Pro-democracy campaigner İyad el-Baghdadi has been vocal critic of Saudi crown prince

The CIA has warned Norway that a prominent Arab activist who is living in the country under asylum protection is facing a potential threat from Saudi Arabia, the Guardian has learned.

The pro-democracy activist, İyad el-Baghdadi, is a vocal critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

El-Baghdadi was alerted to the threat on 25 April, when Norwegian authorities arrived at his doorstep, took him to a secure location, and warned him he was in possible danger from an unspecified threat emanating from the kingdom.

The activist was told the threat had been passed on to Norwegian authorities by a foreign intelligence agency, which the Guardian has confirmed was the CIA. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington and Nick Hopkins in London | Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Mullah Krekar in Norway Gives Chilling and Honest Interview about Islam and the West

Mass Murderer Breivik Trying to Spread Radical Ideology in Norwegian Prison - Government Lawyers

Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik is working on spreading his ideology from prison through dating adverts, according to government lawyers

Inside the “World’s Most Humane” Prison

In Norway two prisons are using a pioneering approach to drugs rehabilitation which is now being closely watched by researchers from the UK to see if it can be introduced here. Simon Israel has this report.