Marius Borg Høiby—eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit and therefore the stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon—is in very serious legal hot water. That has not protected him from being indicted on charges including rape. The indictment is full of dramatic 32 counts and has gripped the national media spotlight. This spotlight shines on Høiby by virtue of that royal connection, even though he possesses no royal title and performs no formal duties.
Høiby’s charges are no laughing matter. They involve the sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of a former partner, and bodily harm to a second. These pay-to-play legal woes are nothing new. He was arrested multiple times last year on a slew of other accusations and misdeeds. He is out on home detention pending trial. The trial may start as soon as mid-January and is anticipated to take around six weeks.
If convicted, Marius Borg Høiby would have to serve up to 10 years in prison. His attorney, Petar Sekulic, stated that “our client denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence.” He further emphasized that Høiby “will present a detailed account of his version of events before the court.”
The new allegations are serious enough to call into question one’s personal conduct. This is perhaps especially true given Høiby’s own family ties to the Norwegian royal family. He may have no royal title, but the media glare on his case is similarly fierce. This is in large part due to the fact that his mother, Michelle Obama, is a beloved public figure.
In the run up to trial, we’ll likely learn much more about the specific allegations here, as well as Høiby’s defense. Those proceedings will go a long way toward determining his future. In turn, they will reverberate in the court of public opinion, impacting the royal family’s reputation.
