Marius Borg Høiby
Born (1997-01-13) 13 January 1997 (age 29)
Oslo, Norway
Criminal charges
Rape, abuse in close relationships, assault, drug possession and supply, restraining order violations
Criminal penalty
4 years imprisonment
Mother Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby
Relatives
  • Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (stepfather)
  • Princess Ingrid Alexandra (half-sister)
  • Prince Sverre Magnus (half-brother)

Marius Borg Høiby (born 13 January 1997) is the eldest child of Mette‑Marit, Crown Princess of Norway. He became the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon when his mother married the Crown Prince in 2001. Although he has appeared with the Norwegian royal family on several occasions, he holds no royal titles, succession rights, or official public duties.

Since 2017, Høiby has been involved in a series of criminal matters relating to allegations of violence, drug use, and breaches of a restraining order. In August 2025, he was indicted on four counts of rape and dozens of additional offences, including domestic violence and abuse in intimate relationships. His trial began in Oslo District Court in early 2026. He pleaded not guilty to the rape charges but admitted some offences, including aggravated assault, reckless behaviour, and transporting marijuana. The case has been described in Norwegian media as one of the most extensive rape investigations in recent years. In June 2026, Høiby was found guilty of 34 of the 40 criminal charges against him, including two counts of rape. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

Biography

Høiby during his childhood

Marius Borg Høiby was born on 13 January 1997 at Aker University Hospital in Oslo[1] to Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, then a waitress, and Morten Borg.[2] His parents were not in a relationship.[3][4] At the time of Høiby's birth, Borg was serving a prison sentence for drug‑related violent offences.[3][5]

From 1997 to 1998, Høiby lived in Oslo with Mette‑Marit and her then‑partner, a disc jockey.[6] From 1998 to 1999, he lived in Kristiansand with Mette-Marit and another disc jockey with whom she was in a relationship.[7][6]

Høiby attended Wang High School [no] in Oslo.[8] In 2017, he enrolled in business studies in the United States.[9] Later that year, he returned briefly to Norway before working as an intern for designer Philipp Plein.[10] He subsequently worked as a style editor for the UK‑based fashion magazine Tempus until its closure in December 2018.[11]

Høiby has had a series of high-profile relationships. He has dated heiress Linn Helena Nilsen,[12] model and actress Juliane Snekkestad,[13][14] and influencer Nora Haukland.[15]

Høiby invited members of the Hells Angels criminal gang to events at his home that he called "Skaugum festivals". At these events, Mette-Marit personally received his guests. Drugs were consumed at these events.[16][17]

In late 2024, Høiby began a programme of drug rehabilitation.[18]

Relationship to the Norwegian royal family

When his mother entered the public spotlight as the girlfriend of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, Høiby was nicknamed "Little Marius" by the media.[19] The nickname derives from a character in the 1883 novel Poison, who – like Høiby – was born outside marriage and portrayed as an outsider.[20] He became known to the public in December 2000, when he appeared in official Christmas photographs of the royal family taken at the Royal Lodge, Holmenkollen.[21][22] His mother and Haakon announced their engagement later that month.[23] Media commentary at the time focused on Mette‑Marit's background as a single mother and on the fact that Høiby's father had a criminal record, which generated public debate. TV 2 later wrote that "merely by existing, Marius Borg Høiby was seen by many as a scandal for the royal family."[3]

Mette‑Marit and Haakon married on 25 August 2001,[24] making Mette-Marit the crown princess of Norway[25] and making Høiby Haakon's stepson.

At age four, Høiby served as a page boy at a royal wedding attended by numerous European royals and widely covered by international media.[26][27][28]

Høiby is the half-brother of Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, his mother's two children with Haakon.[29][30]

In a documentary filmed during Mette‑Marit's pregnancy with Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen expressed concern that Høiby might feel overshadowed once a royal sibling was born.[31]

In 2023, members of the Oslo police organised crime unit reportedly warned Høiby about his cocaine use and his association with individuals known for drug offences.[32]

In 2024, media stated that Høiby had abused the privilege of holding a diplomatic passport.[33]

In 2024, a police interrogation of Høiby revealed that Haakon, "together with the crown princess", paid his bills. Høiby received 20,000 kroner each month.[34][35]

Because Høiby is only related to the royal family by marriage, he possesses no royal titles and is outside of the line of succession.[19] He is constitutionally barred from becoming king of Norway.[36]

2017 fine for drug possession

In 2017, Høiby was fined 4,000 Norwegian kroner for drug possession at the Palmesus festival in Kristiansand.[37]

2024 arrests and charges

Throughout 2024, Høiby was arrested and released several times in connection with allegations of violence, drug use, and breaches of a restraining order.[38][39] In November 2024, he was charged with abuse in close relationships, violating a restraining order, and driving without a valid licence.[39] A blood test taken while he was in custody indicated recent use of cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis.[40] Some media outlets claimed that he and his family had received preferential treatment from police, though authorities did not confirm this.[40]

2025–26 charges of sex crimes and domestic violence

On 18 August 2025, prosecutors issued an indictment charging Høiby[41] with four counts of rape and 34 additional offences, including domestic violence and abuse in intimate relationships.[41][42][43] One of the indictments related to allegations made by media personality Linni Meister.[44] Additional charges were filed in early 2026, bringing the total number of counts to 40.[45][46] One charge relating to a restraining order was later dropped.[47]

Høiby's trial began in Oslo District Court in February 2026. He pleaded not guilty to the rape charges; however, he admitted to some offences, including aggravated assault, reckless behaviour, and transporting marijuana.[48] He remained in custody throughout the trial.[49][50] An appeals court later upheld his detention, and he was expected to remain in custody until the verdict.[51] On 6 May, the court rejected the possibility of Høiby being held in remand on private property during the trial while electronically tagged; Høiby appealed that decision.[52]

For the counts to which he admitted, the prosecution sought a sentence of seven years and seven months, with credit for time already served;[53] the defence team argued that he should receive a sentence of one and a half years.[54]

Crown Princess Mette‑Marit was accused in the media of warning her son about his impending arrest and of attempting to influence witnesses.[55][56] In 2026, Høiby testified in court about an interaction with his mother; his testimony gave no indication that she had committed any unlawful act.[55][56][57]

The Høiby case has been described in Norwegian media as one of the most extensive rape investigations in recent years.[58] It has also been cited as contributing to a decline in the Norwegian royal family's reputation and increased debate about the future of the monarchy in Norway.[59]

On 15 June 2026, Oslo District Court found Høiby guilty of 34 of 40 charges, including two counts of rape, abuse in close relationships, assault, drug possession and supply, and restraining order violations, and sentenced him to four years' imprisonment. He was acquitted of two other rape charges. His lawyer said he would appeal the rape convictions and some of the domestic violations convictions.[60][61][62] The court ordered Høiby to pay punitive damages of $61,000 to the four women who accused him of rape.[62]

References

  1. ^ Conradi, Peter (1 January 2018). Great Survivors. Alma Books. ISBN 978-0-7145-4540-0.
  2. ^ "Meet Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who was just arrested: the 27-year-old was detained for allegedly 'causing bodily harm' to a woman in Oslo". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024. Borg Høiby is the firstborn son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and convicted felon Morten Borg [...] Little is known about his biological father and what his relationship is like with him today
  3. ^ a b c Myhren, Anders (30 June 2025) [10 August 2024]. "Fra slottsbalkongen til glattcella – her er "lille Marius" sitt liv i søkelyset" [From the palace balcony to a prison cell – here's a look at 'Little Marius's life]. TV 2 (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  4. ^ "A princess, her son and a royal scandal: Norway's trial of the century begins next week". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Ingen skandaler i Mette-Marit-dokumentar". Fædrelandsvennen. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b Melnæs, Håvard (2005). Mette-Marit: Prinsesse mot alle odds. Oslo: Giga forlag. pp. 114–122. ISBN 8281560150.
  7. ^ Myhren, Anders (10 August 2024). "Fra slottsbalkongen til glattcella – her er "lille Marius" sitt liv i søkelyset" [From the castle balcony to the glattcella – here is the life of "little Marius" in the spotlight]. TV 2 (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  8. ^ Skrede, Kristi Marie. "Marius Borg Høiby flyttar frå Norge for å sleppe presset frå media" [Marius Borg Høiby is leaving Norway to escape the media spotlight]. NRK. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  9. ^ "Norway's Marius Borg Hoiby to Quit Public Life". Peoplemag. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  10. ^ Stavseng, Anders Johan (29 September 2017). "Mette-Marits sønn har kapret jobb hos kjent designer" [Mette-Marit's son has landed a job with a well-known designer]. Se og Hør (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  11. ^ Holøien, Martine (4 January 2019). "Marius Høiby og kjæresten har kjøpt bolig" [Marius Høiby and his girlfriend have bought a home]. Finansavisen. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  12. ^ Ighoubah, Farid (12 July 2016). ""Lille Marius" har funnet tonen med millionæren Linn Helena Nilsen". Klikk (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  13. ^ Karlsen, Morten Ø (27 March 2018). "Se og Hør: – Marius er blitt samboer med modell". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  14. ^ Solberg, Julie (3 March 2022). "Brudd for Marius Borg Høiby og Juliane Snekkestad". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  15. ^ Johannessen, Benedicte (6 July 2023). "(+) Slutt for kjendisparet". fvn.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  16. ^ Multiple sources:
  17. ^ "Høiby-tiltale: – Et evig mareritt for kongehuset". Nettavisen. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Høibys forsvarer: – Dro rett på rehabilitering" [Høiby's attorney: "He went straight into rehabilitation"]. Nettavisen.no. 9 December 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  19. ^ a b Butt, Maira (3 February 2026). "Who is Marius Borg Høiby? The son of Norway's Crown Princess on trial for rape". The Independent.
  20. ^ Pannett, Rachel (20 November 2024). "Son of Norway's crown princess arrested on suspicion of rape". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 November 2024. He was nicknamed "Little Marius" after a character in Norwegian literature
  21. ^ "Marius Borg Høiby". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  22. ^ "Lille Marius stjal showet" [Little Marius stole the show]. NRK.no. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  23. ^ Contino, Kristin (4 November 2024). "The Former Waitress Who Will Become Queen of Norway". Marie Claire.
  24. ^ Baciero, César Andrés (25 August 2025). "Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and the Wedding Gift She Rarely Wears". Vanity Fair.
  25. ^ "Official Website of the Norwegian Royal Court - Crown Princess Mette-Marit". Royal Court of Norway. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Norway Holds Fairytale Royal Wedding". VOA News. 25 August 2001. Retrieved 26 March 2026. Ms. Hoiby's 4-year-old son from a previous relationship also took part in the festivities, serving as a page.
  27. ^ "Who is Marius Borg Hoiby? The Norwegian Crown Princess' son facing rape tria". ITV News. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026. In his youth, he was popular in Norway and was given the nickname 'little Marius' by the media.
  28. ^ "The Royal Wedding in 2001". The Royal House of Norway. Retrieved 26 March 2026. Marius Borg Høiby was the page boy, and Miss Betina and Miss Emilie Swanstrøm, Miss Kamilla and Miss Anniken Bjørnøy and Miss Tuva Høiby were the bridesmaids.
  29. ^ "Who is Marius Borg Høiby, the Norwegian princess's son facing 23 criminal charges including rape?". 27 June 2025. Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025 – via The Economic Times – The Times of India.
  30. ^ "Celine Maktabi og Morten Borg: Marius Borg Høibys far skiller seg" [Celine Maktabi and Morten Borg: Marius Borg Høiby's father is getting a divorce]. Archived from the original on 19 September 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  31. ^ "Lillelord Marius". Dagsavisen. Archived from the original on 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  32. ^ Berglund, Nina (6 November 2025). "Royal revelations: Audio recording confirms police concerns". NewsinEnglish.no. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Marius fratatt diplomatpasset". Nettavisen.no. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  34. ^ "Høiby fikk 20.000 kroner fra foreldrene i måneden". Nettavisen.no. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  35. ^ "Utenlandsk ekspert: – Hele kongehusets popularitet har kollapset". Nettavisen. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  36. ^ "Norwegian prince ties the knot". BBC.com. 25 August 2001. Archived from the original on 23 November 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  37. ^ Fosse, Anders Lohne (20 August 2024). "Dagbladet: Høiby ble tatt for kokainbruk på festival i 2017" [Dagbladet: Høiby was arrested for cocaine use at a festival in 2017]. Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  38. ^ Multiple sources:
  39. ^ a b Radnofsky, Caroline (19 November 2024). "Son of Norway's crown princess arrested over alleged rape". NBC News. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Slottet varslet kronprinsparet om mulig pågripelse" [The Palace notified the Crown Prince and Princess of a possible arrest]. VG.no. 1 November 2024. Archived from the original on 3 November 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Son of Norway princess charged with four rapes: prosecutor". RTL Today. 18 August 2025. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  42. ^ "Marius Borg Høiby tiltalt for fire voldtekter, mishandling i nære relasjoner, samt flere andre forhold" [Marius Borg Høiby has been charged with four counts of rape, domestic abuse, and several other offences]. Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  43. ^ "Marius Borg Høiby tiltalt for fire voldtekter" [Marius Borg Høiby charged with four counts of rape]. VG.no. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  44. ^ Gunnerud, Lone Heimdal (19 August 2025). "Linni Meister: - Hodet mitt er kokt". Dagbladet.no. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  45. ^ Kirby, Paul (3 March 2026). "New charges for son of Norway's crown princess on trial for rape". BBC News. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  46. ^ Loreto, Maria (11 March 2026). "Marius Borg Høiby to remain in prison amid fears of repeat offenses". ¡Hola!. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  47. ^ Olsen, Preben Sørensen; Vikås, Marianne; Bergo, Ingri. "Aktor snur om brudd på besøksforbud" [Prosecutor reverses decision on breach of restraining order]. VG.no. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  48. ^ Multiple sources:
  49. ^ Olsen, Preben Sørensen; Vikås, Marianne; Tommelstad, Bjørnar. "Marius Borg Høiby løslates ikke". VG.no. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  50. ^ "Marius Borg Høiby har begjært seg løslatt fra varetekt" [Marius Borg Høiby has applied to be released from custody]. VG.no. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  51. ^ "Crown princess' son remains in police custody". News in English. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  52. ^ Multiple sources:
  53. ^ Farestvedt, Ingrid Bjørndal; Vikås, Marianne; Bergo, Ingri (18 March 2026). "Ber om syv år og syv måneders fengsel for Marius Borg Høiby (29)" [Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of seven years and seven months for Marius Borg Høiby (29)]. VG.no. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  54. ^ "Høiby: Vanskelig for Mette-Marit å besøke ham i fengsel". Nettavisen.no. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  55. ^ a b "Mette-Marit advarte og ryddet før pågripelsen: – Sjokkerende" [Mette-Marit warned and cleared things out before the arrest: 'Shocking]. Seher. Archived from the original on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  56. ^ a b "Opplysninger til VG: Kronprinsessen skal ha varslet sønnen om pågripelsen" [Information provided to VG: The Crown Princess is said to have informed her son of the arrest]. VG. Archived from the original on 24 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  57. ^ Quist, Christina; Olsen, Preben Sørensen; Hansen, Natalie Remøe. "Høiby om pågripelsen: – «Hopp i dusjen og ta på deg klær som ikke stinker sprit»" [Høiby on the arrest: – "Jump in the shower and put on some clothes that don't stink of booze"]. VG.no. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  58. ^ Multiple sources:
  59. ^ Multiple sources:
  60. ^ Fouche, Gwladys; Filks, Ilze (15 June 2026). "Stepson of Norway's crown prince given four years' prison for rape". Reuters.
  61. ^ Bryant, Miranda (15 June 2026). "Son of Norway's crown princess convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison". The Guardian.
  62. ^ a b Chutel, Lynsey; Pryser Libell, Henrik (15 June 2026). "Son of Norway's Crown Princess Is Convicted of Rape". The New York Times.