Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been sentenced to four years in prison after an Oslo court convicted him of rape, in a case that has drawn intense scrutiny of the Norwegian royal household. The Oslo District Court found him guilty of two of the four rape charges he faced, acquitting him on the other two.
Høiby, 28, was also convicted of assault and of abuse in a close relationship, the court said. He was handed a two-year restraining order protecting one of his victims and ordered to pay compensation to those harmed. He followed the verdict via video link rather than appearing in court in person.
His lawyers told Norwegian media that he would appeal the convictions for rape and domestic abuse, meaning the case is likely to continue through the higher courts. Prosecutors had sought a prison term of more than seven years.
Høiby is the son of the crown princess from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne. He holds no royal title and carries out no official duties, but his proximity to the monarchy has made the case a subject of national attention.
The charges he faced spanned a long list of alleged offences, including multiple counts of rape and sexual assault as well as violence and other crimes, following an investigation that began after an incident in 2024. The trial laid out detailed and disturbing testimony over several weeks.
The Norwegian royal family has largely refrained from public comment on the legal proceedings, citing the independence of the courts. The case has nonetheless prompted broader discussion in Norway about accountability and the treatment of those connected to the monarchy.
Under Norwegian law, the appeal Høiby has signalled could lead to a full or partial retrial of the contested counts before an appellate court, a process that may take many months. Until then, the district court’s verdict and sentence stand as the formal outcome.
The conviction marks one of the most serious criminal cases ever to touch the Norwegian royal household, and its resolution on appeal will be closely watched both in Norway and abroad.