Norway crown princess's son found guilty of two counts of rape as sentence issued in court

Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been found guilty on two counts of rape.

The royal has been sentenced to four years in prison, after also being found guilty on one count of domestic violence, among other ⁠crimes.

He was also acquitted of two other charges of rape.

Alongside the sentencing, he received a two-year restraining order against one of his alleged victims.

The only alleged victim to be publicly named by the court is his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland.

Høiby was charged 40 offences following his arrest, including several breaches of restraining orders, drug, and driving offences.

The victims are alleged to have been sleeping or heavily incapacitated (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

The six-week trial concluded in March after testimony from multiple accusers and presentation of evidence, including messages, images and videos from the royal's cellphone.

The rape charges concern incidents that allegedly happened between 2018 and 2024, and in each case, the women are alleged to have been sleeping or heavily incapacitated.

The 29-year-old had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations against him, including those of rape, while admitting to some lesser ones, and will have the opportunity to appeal the verdict.

His trial came at a challenging time for the Norwegian royal family, which is dealing with the severe illness of Høiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

Høiby joined the royal family when his mother married Prince Haakon in 2001.

His trial concluded in March. (Ane Hem / NTB / AFP via Getty Images)

She has recently been diagnosed with a form of pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that makes it increasingly difficult to breathe, and has been placed on a lung transplant list.

Without a transplant, doctors have warned that she may only have around a year left to live.

But during this time, the Crown Princess has also faced scrutiny over her relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"It was a perfect crisis for the royal family because they had two crises at the same time. And they had a lot of criticism for the way they handled the Epstein files," said Ketil Raknes, an associate professor in political communication, speaking with the Independent.

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org