TL;DR
Marius Borg Hiby, son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has gone on trial in Oslo, facing four rape charges among 38 counts. He has pleaded not guilty to the rape allegations in a tightly controlled seven-week proceeding drawing intense national and international scrutiny.
Why This Matters
The case is one of the most closely watched criminal trials in Norway in years, combining allegations of serious violence against women with questions about how a modern constitutional monarchy handles scandal. Although Marius Borg Hiby is not a formal member of the royal household, he is the crown princess’s son and Crown Prince Haakon’s stepson, placing the case at the edge of royal life.
The trial is unfolding as Crown Princess Mette-Marit herself faces renewed criticism over past contacts with the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Emails indicating extensive communication and a previous four-day stay at his Florida home have led her to acknowledge “poor judgment” and to lose at least one patron role. Taken together, the criminal case and reputational fallout are testing public trust in Norway’s future queen and raising broader questions about accountability, privilege, and the treatment of alleged victims in high-profile cases.
Key Facts & Quotes
According to court proceedings at Oslo district court, 29-year-old Marius Borg Hiby faces 38 charges, including four counts of rape, six counts of sexually offensive conduct without consent, causing bodily harm, repeated abuse of a current or former partner, violating a restraining order, transporting 3.5kg of marijuana, and speeding.
Hiby pleaded not guilty to the rape charges, speaking quietly as they were read out, but admitted some other offenses, including bodily harm in a 2024 incident involving a woman in Oslo’s Frogner district, breaching a restraining order, transporting marijuana, and speeding. All four alleged rapes are said to have taken place when the women were asleep or otherwise incapacitated, including one alleged assault in the basement of his parents’ home in December 2018.
On the eve of the trial, he was detained again on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife, and violating a restraining order, and is currently being held in custody for four weeks, a decision his defense team plans to appeal. The case will be decided by a panel of three judges; a guilty verdict on the most serious charges could mean at least 10 years in prison.
Strict reporting rules ban photographs of the defendant and any detail that could identify the four women involved. Some alleged victims sat opposite Hiby in court as the charges were read. The royal family is not expected to attend the hearings.
Separately, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Norway’s future queen, has come under fire after being cited in hundreds of emails showing extensive contact with Jeffrey Epstein. She has said she showed “poor judgment,” and the Sex and Society foundation, which focuses on sexual and reproductive rights, has dropped her as high patron for its annual Shameless Prize, saying what had emerged was incompatible with its values.
What It Means for You
For many readers, this trial is a window into how a wealthy, stable democracy handles allegations of serious sexual violence when they touch those close to the monarchy. The outcome could influence public debate on issues such as consent, power imbalances, and how courts protect the privacy of alleged victims while ensuring transparency.
The case may also shape views on the role and expectations of European royal families in the #MeToo era, especially when past associations with disgraced figures resurface. Over the coming weeks, watch for developments in court testimony, any response from Norway’s royal household, and broader discussion about whether legal systems treat high-profile defendants differently or insist that everyone be held to the same standard.
How do you think justice systems should balance fair trials, victim protection, and public transparency when allegations involve people close to royal or political power?
Sources: Charge sheet and oral presentations at Oslo district court (3 February 2026); earlier public statements by Crown Princess Mette-Marit; public notice from the Sex and Society foundation regarding its Shameless Prize patronage.
