Norway's Crown Princess Responds to Son's Arrest, Allegations

Marius Borg Hoiby wears sunglasses and has slicked back blond hair, and his mother, Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit, wears a white jacket, has blonde hair, and waves — (Image credit: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

2024 has been a rather tumultuous year for the Norwegian Royal Family. The future King and Queen of Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon, were forced to deal with an extremely public scandal when Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby, was arrested on three separate occasions. Now, the future Queen of Norway has responded to her son's arrests and the accusations against him.

In October, Borg Høiby was banned from the royal residence after being arrested for allegedly burglarizing the property. In November, Borg Høiby was arrested on suspicion of rape, per Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten. It was his third arrest in as many months.

"If I had to choose one word for this year, it would be 'challenging,'" Mette-Marit told NRK (via the Daily Mail). "It has been a demanding year and a demanding autumn for us."

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Princess Ingrid Alexandra sitting in a chair wearing a national costume posing with Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Marius Borg Hoiby standing behind her during her confirmation — Marius Borg Høiby [top right] poses with Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

Mette-Marit welcomed her son, Borg Høiby, in a previous relationship, before marrying Crown Prince Haakon. As such, Borg Høiby doesn't hold an official royal title or carry out any duties on behalf of the Norwegian Royal Family. However, his proximity to the future King and Queen has caused uproar in Norway.

Royal commentator for Norway's TV2, Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen, previously discussed the impact Borg Høiby's scandals have had on the Norwegian Royal Family and the general public. "According to surveys, the Norwegian public has voiced a diminishing trust in the monarchy due to the scandals and controversies that have rocked the institution the past year," he told Marie Claire earlier this year. While the arrests have been troubling, Schulsrud-Hansen suggested that the public will still support the future King and Queen. "The public seems to have a deal of sympathy for the Crown Princess at this time," he explained.

Marius Borg Hoiby wearing a tux sitting at a dinner table next to his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is smiling and clapping — Marius Borg Høiby and his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

The broadcaster further explained, "The Høiby case has evolved into the extreme from what it was when he was first arrested in August, and a comment from the Royal Family at that time could have done more bad than good."

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.