Who is Marius Borg Høiby, the Norwegian royal facing four counts of rape?
The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess will be in a courtroom this week, charged with multiple offences, including rape and abuse against a former partner.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the throne in the Norwegian royal family.
He’s facing 38 charges, including the rape of four women, assaulting and threatening a girlfriend and damaging her flat, drug charges and other driving offences.
The royal could spend ten years behind bars, having also been accused of filming a number of women without their knowledge.
The Norwegian royal family has repeatedly said that Høiby is not a public figure, but his proximity to the monarchy has put his trial on the international stage.
He has no royal title or official duties and is outside the line of royal succession.
Who is Marius Borg Høiby?
Born on January 13, 1997, to mum Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway and father Morten Borg, Høiby was not born into royalty.
But when his mother married Prince Haakon in 2001, he was thrust into the spotlight, being considered by many as a royal, despite having no official titles.
He has no public role in royalty, but has been scrutinised by the media for years, having been associated with gang members in 2023.
After allegations of assault emerged, it was revealed he had a previous arrest for using cocaine at a music festival in 2017.
His stepfather, Prince Haakon, said in a statement last week: ‘Marius Borg Hoiby is not part of the royal household. In that respect, he is independent. But of course we love him. He is an important part of our family.
‘And he is a citizen of Norway. With that, he has the same responsibilities as everyone else, but also the same rights.’
What have his lawyers said?
Høiby’s defence team has said he takes the accusations seriously but does not acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases.
His lawyer, Petar Sekulic, said he plans to plead guilty to some of the lesser charges in court once the trial starts, but ‘does not agree with the claims regarding rape and domestic violence’.
Last year, he admitted causing bodily harm to a woman he had been in a relationship with, saying he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol at the time.
He said in a statement last August that he regretted his actions.
Several women are set to give evidence in court in addition to those he’s alleged to have raped, with one social media influencer having accused him of punching, kicking and choking her.
The Norwegian royal court said: ‘It is for the courts to consider this matter and reach a decision. We have no further comment.’
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