The year 2024, “annus horribilis” for the Norwegian crown? After the scandal surrounding the marriage of Princess Märtha-Louise in August, here are new accusations bringing Marius Borg Høiby, eldest son of Norwegian Princess Mette-Marit, to the forefront. The 27-year-old man was arrested this Monday, November 18, around 11 p.m., accused of rape by a woman in her twenties.
A new scandal in a family much more adept at discretion and exemplary Scandinavian style, after an already turbulent summer and two arrests for the young man, whose place within this monarchy is unique.
From the darling little boy of the family…
It’s a little blond head who made the Norwegians fall for it. A whole people discovered the little boy when he was only 4 years old, during the wedding of his mother, Mette-Marit, and his stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, in 2001. His baby face , her blondeness… Too cute to resist.
Although he may not be of royal blood, the “almost-prince” is adopted. “He was very well received by the royal family from the engagement in December 2000,” underlines Thomas Pernette, senior reporter at Point de Vue and specialist in the Norwegian monarchy. Born in 1997 from his mother’s union with Morten Borg, he was raised in the residence of the couple heirs to the crown, Skaugum, located a few kilometers from Oslo.
He became a big brother in 2004, with the birth of Princess Ingrid Alexandra, then that of Prince Sverre Magnus the following year. “There has never been any difficulty, they are a very loving family. Moreover, he has long appeared in photos on the official website of the monarchy. They embodied this model of the ideal Scandinavian blended family. Even on the side of the royal couple, King Harald V and Queen Sonja, there has never been any difference in treatment between him and the other grandchildren. »
… to the bad boy to the legal troubles
Between two waters, between two worlds, Marius Borg Høiby carves out a place for himself: neither in the family nor outside. “He is not in the order of succession, but he experienced the harassment of the media” inherent to growing up in a public family, summarizes Thomas Pernette. After his schooling in Oslo, he went to study in California, which he quickly abandoned. The one we nicknamed “little Marius” grew up and became a turbulent adult.
“We don’t really know what he does, he has no official position within the family. He’s a bit of a party animal, the tabloids have closely followed his successive relationships with models and influencers. But nothing alerted him about his behavior,” continues Thomas Pernette.
Everything was shattered during the night of August 4 to 5. The next day, the young man was arrested by the police. An incident took place in an apartment in an upscale neighborhood of Oslo, he is accused of domestic violence against a woman, who had to be treated in hospital after the incident. The start of a real scandal hunt for the Norwegian tabloids and enough to damage the image of a family that is good in every respect: “He is an outsider who threatens the institution”, according to Thomas Pernette.
Via his lawyer, the young man quickly recognized the facts, and conceded what the blood tests had already confirmed: he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs that night. A restraining order is then taken against him, he is prohibited from coming into contact with the victim of the beating.
But the affair continues on the newsstands, when the tabloids seek to know more about his life. “Through searching, they discovered that he had hosted numerous parties at the Skaugum royal residence when his parents were not there. Investigations also revealed that valuable items had been stolen, only to be resold on the internet, before being removed. The Norwegians discovered that he led a completely dissolute life,” summarizes Thomas Pernette.
Rape accusations against a new victim
He, who had every interest in keeping a low profile, was arrested again in September. Reason: he violated the restraining order which prohibits him from any contact with the complainant. And to make matters worse, tongues were loosened. Two of his ex-girlfriends accused him of physical and psychological violence. A fourth person, presumably a man, also accuses him of death threats.
A case that the Norwegian crown tried to bury in the back of its mind until this Tuesday morning and the announcement of rape charges after a fifth victim was identified by the police. This woman is believed to be around twenty years old and does not know the other victims, according to her lawyer, quoted by the daily Verdens Gang. Marius Borg Høiby is thus suspected of having had “sexual intercourse with a person who was unconscious or unable to resist the act”, according to the facts with which he is accused by the Oslo public prosecutor’s office.
In addition to the facts, the man was arrested at the wheel of his car while his license was suspended and in the company of the first complainant, the one who accuses him of domestic violence and with whom he is prohibited from making contact. A search took place Monday evening in the apartments he occupies within the princely residence of Skaugum. He has always been detained in a prison in Oslo. The royal palace did not wish to comment on the facts.
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