New media storm for the Norwegian royal family. Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son, finds himself in the spotlight again, this time accused of sexual assault. These accusations come on top of a long history of legal disputes, notably for domestic violence and various offenses. After several arrests, he is now suspected of having sexually assaulted a young woman, fueling a series of scandals which have already seriously tarnished his image. The royal family, long seen as a model of discretion and respectability, finds itself once again faced with a crisis that is shaking its image. But actually, who is Marius Borg Høiby?
Pas de sang « royal »
Born in 1997 from his mother's relationship with Morten Borg, Marius was adopted into the royal family when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. At the time, just 4 years old, he quickly became a a familiar face to millions of Norwegians, especially during the royal wedding which captivated the entire country. His little blond face and angelic smile have made him a darling of the monarchy, although he is not officially in the line of succession.
Little Marius grew up alongside his half-siblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus in Skaugum, within the royal residence. However, we are far from the cliché of Princess Cinderella who was rejected by her stepmother's family: Marius Borg is loved and welcomed with affection by the royal family. Except that the media pressure is hard to live with. He is nicknamed the “almost prince”, and although he does not have an official role within the family, he grows up in the media spotlight.
A quick trip to the University of California
Once he finished high school, Marius Borg decided to move to the United States. There, he joined the prestigious University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and had to study business. But barely a year later, at the beginning of 2018, he gave up and finally returned to Norway to be with his family.
Although he has never held an official royal position, he has attracted attention for his relationships with models and influencers, and his life of parties and going out. This somewhat rebellious side meant that he was regularly followed by the Norwegian tabloids, who were interested in his every move. Marius has always cultivated his status as an outsider, on the fringes of royal commitments, but his private life has become a subject of incessant speculation.
2023: the year of the fall
Despite some media popularity acquired during his childhood, his reputation took a dramatic turn. In August 2023, he was arrested after being accused of domestic violence against a woman. Acknowledging having acted under the influence of alcohol and drugs, he was banned from any contact with the victim. But this affair is in fact only the beginning of a series of scandals. Revelations multiply about the parties he organizes in the royal residence when his parents are not there or the thefts of precious objects that he is said to have committed.
On November 18, 2024, Marius was arrested again, this time on even more serious charges: he was suspected of sexually assaulting a young woman, a case that exacerbated his already delicate situation. Today, in detention, the investigation into the actions of the “almost prince” continues. The Norwegian royal family, so proud of its image of respectability and discretion, once again finds itself facing a deep crisis. Marius, long perceived as an “almost-prince”, today embodies the outsider who has become a source of scandal.
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