The relationship of Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway with the late American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has become a major scandal with significant ramifications for the Norwegian royal family. The pair were introduced in 2011 and maintained close contact until 2014. Media first reported on the relationship in 2019 in the context of the relationship of then-Prince Andrew and Epstein. At the time Mette-Marit minimized the contact, claimed a lack of knowledge of his crimes, and claimed to have broken off contact in 2013, a claim later disproven. In 2026, the newly released Epstein files showed extensive contact between Mette-Marit and Epstein over several years, and that she is mentioned over a thousand times in the released files. The Epstein files were released days before the trial of Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby on charges of rape. The files revealed that Mette-Marit admitted to Epstein that she had googled him and that the results "didn't look good" already in 2011, the year they met. In exchanges from 2012 and 2013 she repeatedly discussed how she was "dying of boredom" over royal duties, discussed adultery, the work of Vladimir Nabokov, and pictures of naked women she wanted to give to her then 15-year old son Marius Borg Høiby; they further discussed Epstein's "wife hunting" and dating of multiple young women, she suggested Epstein connect with Scandinavian women, asked him about "island life" and whether he enjoyed "sweetness," and they exchanged deeply intimate and personal messages about love and longing. She also wrote emotional letters to Epstein about an unnamed man, writing about how she met him and how "he made me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth." Mette-Marit and Epstein met several times, and she stayed in Epstein's now demolished mansion in Palm Beach as late as 2013. == Background == Norwegian media first reported on the relationship between Mette-Marit and Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 in the context of the relationship of then-Prince Andrew and Epstein. Epstein was convicted of child sexual abuse in 2008, leading prince Andrew to break off contact in 2010. One year later, in 2011, Mette-Marit entered into a close friendship with Epstein and stayed in close contact until 2014, although she wrote already in 2011 that she knew of Epstein's past. == History == Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (née Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby) maintained a close friendship with the American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014. At the time she entered into a friendship with Epstein, Norwegian media had reported extensively on Epstein's conviction for child sexual abuse in 2008 and referred to him as a "convicted pedophile." Norwegian and international media first reported on her ties to Epstein in 2019. At the time it was reported that she met him several times between 2011 and 2013, after his conviction on charges of sex trafficking of minors in 2008 and release from prison. Her friendship with Epstein was revealed by Norwegian media in the context of the scandal involving then-Prince Andrew, who in that year resigned from all public roles over his longstanding ties to Epstein and allegations of sexual abuse. Mette-Marit minimized the extent of her contact with Epstein, stating that Epstein was "responsible for his own actions." The Royal Palace's communications manager Guri Varpe asserted that she had ceased contact with Epstein in 2013, a claim that was since disproven by the release of the Epstein files. While Mette-Marit was in frequent communication with Epstein and met him many times, her husband Crown Prince Haakon reportedly only met him once at St. Barts. In 2026, newly released Epstein files showed extensive contact between Mette-Marit and Epstein over several years, and that she is mentioned over a thousand times in the released files. The correspondence showed that Epstein sought to arrange cosmetic procedures for Mette-Marit, whom he addressed as "Mette," in Palm Beach. The files also show that Mette-Marit stayed with Epstein in his Palm Beach home for several days in 2013, while inviting each other to have dinner or go shopping together. Mette-Marit brought her personal "guru" to stay with her in the villa referred to as Epstein's "rape villa" where he sexually abused young girls. Norwegian media published a picture of Mette-Marit sitting next to half naked young woman in a bikini in Epstein's house. Epstein referred to Mette-Marit as "twisted ;) Not a typical royalty." The Epstein files also revealed that Mette-Marit had maintained contact with Epstein as late as 2014, eight years since his conviction for child sexual abuse, despite having insisted she ceased all contact a year earlier. Norwegian media said the Epstein files paint a totally different picture of Mette-Marit's relationship with Epstein than previous revelations or her own claims. In 2012 Mette-Marit wrote to Epstein: "You tickle my brain." In other exchanges she writes "you make me smile," "what do you have to do besides seeing me?" and asks questions like "how is island life," referring to Little Saint James where he abused young girls. In one of her emails to Epstein from 2011, Mette-Marit admitted that she had googled him and that "it didn't look good", but she continued to maintain her contact with him for another three years. She wrote in her email to Epstein in 2011: "... Googled u after last email [.] Agree it didn't look good :)". Norwegian media reported that Wikipedia, as the first Google result, at the time described him as "a convicted sex offender" convicted of "soliciting an underage girl for prostitution", who "remains under investigation by the FBI over allegations of involvement with underage girls and for money laundering." One year after admitting she had googled him and learned about his past, Mette-Marit suggested Epstein connect with Scandinavian women and writing "Paris is good for infidelity. Scandinavians make better wife material." They discussed Epstein being with two young Norwegian women nearly forty years his junior at the time. In another exchange, Mette-Marit wrote to Epstein: "come and save us. I die of boredom" while she is representing the royal family. She referred to Epstein as "such a sweetheart." On another occasion, Mette-Marit asked Epstein about pictures of "naked women" she wanted to suggest as wallpaper to her then 15-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby. Mette-Marit and Epstein also discussed the work of Vladimir Nabokov, the author of Lolita, with Mette-Marit asking Epstein: "Did u enjoy sweetness?" Even as the conversations between Epstein and Mette-Marit had a flirtatious and intimate tone, Epstein made disparaging statements about her behind her back to other people. In one e-mail Epstein wrote to his associate Boris Nikolić that "Mette is a mess", to which Nikolić replied by asking what had happened to Mette and if she was going to carry Epstein's child. The files revealed that Epstein had taken photographs of Mette-Marit. A former assistant of Epstein told Aftenposten that the purpose of the pictures was to lure new victims by showing how he associated with famous people. In a statement to broadcaster NRK, Mette-Marit said: "I deeply regret that, and this is a responsibility I must take. I showed poor judgment and regret having any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing." However she refused to explain what she knew about Epstein in 2011 after she had googled him and told him it didn't look good, her spokesperson stating "we have nothing further to add." Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten noted that the British royal house had taken steps against Prince Andrew, and asked if the Norwegian royal court had taken any kind of steps since becoming aware of Mette-Marit's ties to Epstein. Guri Varpe, the royal court's communications manager, insisted "we have nothing further to add." == Reception == Royal historian Trond Norén Isaksen said that Mette-Marit had lent Epstein royal legitimacy. The 2026 Epstein files were released days before the trial of Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby on charges of rape, compounding the scandal for the royal family. Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he shares the view that Mette-Marit has demonstrated a lack of judgement. Støre later said he expects Mette-Marit to fully disclose the extent of her relationship with Epstein. Norwegian media and commentators, including Kjetil B. Alstadheim, the political editor of Norway's largest newspaper, Aftenposten, and sociologist Trond Blindheim, questioned if Mette-Marit can be part of the royal house and become queen. Additional public figures, including politician Simen Bondevik, voiced the view that Mette-Marit is not suited to be queen of Norway. Royal commentator Tove Taalesen said it has become impossible for Mette-Marit to be queen, and suggested that a solution may be for Mette-Marit to lose her official title and withdraw from public life, similarly to former prince Andrew, and become the private citizen Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, even if her husband continues as crown prince or king. After Mette-Marit refused to explain what she knew about Epstein in 2011, Kjetil Alstadheim, the political editor of Aftenposten, said Mette-Marit and the Palace had been evasive in 2019 when the scandal originally broke and that they continue to be evasive in 2026. Royal commentator Johan T. Lindwall said Mette-Marit has deliberately lied about her relationship with Epstein, and also described her repeated statements about how her royal duties and other people's weddings bored her as undignified. Lindwall described the Mette-Marit affair as the biggest royal scandal in modern history, and bigger than Prince Andrew's scandal. Several large organizations are discussing whether to remove Mette-Marit from her honorary position as patron. On 2 February Mette-Marit was removed as patron for the prize "Skamløsprisen" by the organization Sex and Society, a large NGO working for sexual and reproductive health and rights, which said that "Sex and Society no longer wishes Mette-Marit to serve as patron." Norwegian police said they are considering opening an open-ended investigation into the Epstein files to assess whether any Norwegian citizens may have committed criminal offences linked to Epstein. Carl-Erik Grimstad argues that the Royal Court had a clear duty to monitor and advise on Mette-Marit's relationships, stating that "alarm bells should have rung many years earlier" and that the handling of the affair represents a serious failure of trust. Royal historian Lars Hovbakke Sørensen describes the case as the most severe crisis in the history of the Norwegian monarchy, warning that the limited openness shown so far is insufficient to maintain public confidence in the institution. On 2 February, a poll found that only about a quarter of the population supports Mette-Marit as a future queen, while half of the population believes she shouldn't be queen; another quarter had no opinion. Mette-Marit is particularly unpopular among young adults, who overwhelming believe she is unsuited to represent Norway. The leader of the Young Liberals said the royal family appears like a madhouse, that Mette-Marit is not a worthy representative of Norway, that she has deliberately maintained a close relationship with a child sexual abuser and that she needs to resign from public roles and titles; he also said he believes the Storting should abolish the monarchy. The Norwegian parliament, the Storting, votes on a proposal to abolish the monarchy on 3 February, a proposal advanced in the former legislative session by members of parliament representing the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the Progress Party, the Socialist Left Party, the Labour Party, the Red Party and the Greens. Une Bastholm of the Greens said that "a system with a president would be healthy because a president can step down." == Chronology == Communications sent by Mette-Marit to Epstein that have been widely reported on by media include: == Communications sent by Mette-Marit to Epstein == Communications sent by Mette-Marit to Epstein that have been widely reported on by media include: == See also == Relationship of Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein Relationship of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Relationship of Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein Relationship of Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein == References ==