Norway’s royal family is facing one of its most challenging periods in decades as the stepson of the Crown Prince prepares to face trial on charges of rape and abuse.
The criminal case against Marius Borg Høiby is expected to bring unprecedented scrutiny on the monarchy and its key players when it gets underway in February.
It’ll come just months after the King’s daughter “devastated” the ageing monarch by appearing in a controversy documentary, all while the country’s future queen, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, tries to forge a new life in Australia away from the drama.
The King and Queen and the Crown Prince family, pictured at the Royal Palace last year. (Instagram)
Recently, a television crew from NRK – Norway’s national broadcaster – travelled to Sydney as part of its annual documentary on the royal family.
They were here to cover Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s recent move to Australia, where she is now a full-time student at the University of Sydney.
Nine.com.au spoke to NRK’s royal correspondent Kristi Marie Skrede, who offered an exclusive insight into the crisis facing the monarchy and its turbulent 12 months.
‘A possibility we’ll see the Crown Prince couple in court’
Last year Høiby – the 28-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon – was arrested.
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Princess Ingrid Alexandra spoke about her close relationship with her brother Marius Borg Høiby in a speech at her 18th birthday celebrations in 2022. (Getty)
In August, Oslo’s state attorney filed charges against Høiby. He is accused of 32 crimes including domestic abuse and rape, most of which he denies, and faces 10 years in prison if convicted.
The trial will begin on February 3 next year and run until March 13, in Oslo’s District Court.
It’s unlikely King Harald and his wife, Queen Sonja, who are both 88, will attend court. But Skrede expects other members of the royal family to make an appearance in support of Høiby.
“I don’t think the king and queen will be there, we have asked them and they have said that their work will continue as normal,” Skrede says.
The Norwegian royal family, pictured in January 2022. L-R Queen Sonja, Prince Sverre Magnus, King Harald, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid, Marius Borg Hoiby and Marit Tjessem, Mette-Marit’s mother. (Kimm Saatvedt/The Royal House of Norway)
“But there might be a possibility we will be seeing the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in court. It’s their son, her son and the crown prince’s stepson.
“I think they will support him, but of course it’s difficult.”
Over the years Høiby has attended many family and official events with the royals. He never had a royal title or carried out official duties.
In 2017, Høiby stepped back from public life because he wanted privacy, and his portrait and biography were removed from the palace website following his arrest in 2024.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra and her younger brother Prince Sverre Magnus grew up with Marius Borg Høiby. (Getty)
When he was arrested, Høiby became the first member of Norway’s royal family to be charged with a crime.
Høiby was a toddler when his mother married into the royal family in 2001 and he and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and Prince Sverre Magnus, grew up together.
‘She is happy to be far away from all the problems’
The scandal would be especially hard on Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Skrede believes.
“I doubt we we will be seeing her in court, she has to do her job as a student and be here [in Australia] when the semester starts [next year], but I also think that she wants to to support her brother,” Skrede says.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra began her studies at the University of Sydney in August, 2025. (Photo: Raquel Pires Photography / The Royal Court)
Princess Ingrid Alexandra has exams in mid-November and then she will return to Norway where she will be “supporting her brother during Christmas when she has a break from from her studies”.
“The [Crown Prince and Crown Princess] are looking forward to her coming back home for Christmas, they are missing their little girl, their big girl.”
News of her brother’s trial was announced just weeks after Princess Ingrid Alexandra moved to Sydney in late July.
”I think she is happy to be here, far away from all the problems,” Skrede says.
“It gives her the possibility to concentrate on her studies and to concentrate on being a young woman and spending time with her friends.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra pictured for an interview she did with Norway’s national broadcaster NRK about her new life as a student in Sydney, Australia, on Friday October 31, 2025. (Frode Fjerdingstad / NRK)
“The problems that her brother is dealing with, the fact that he is charged with very serious crimes – rape and assaulting an ex-girlfriend – that’s very hard.”
Skrede points to a speech by Princess Ingrid Alexandra at her 18th birthday celebrations inside the Royal Palace in 2022.
The princess told the gathered guests: “Marius, thank you for everything I have learned from you, and for us to talk together about everything. Thank you for always protecting me”.
Skrede adds: “[In that speech Ingrid said] she has a really close relationship to her brother and that he’s like a role model to her”.
“I know they are a close family and experiencing this in a family like that is very hard.”
‘It’s a sad story’
The royal family is also dealing with the declining health of its Crown Princess, Mette-Marit.
The 52-year-old was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, an incurable disease which has forced her to scale back her official duties.
Prince Haakon has been left to carry out the bulk of official duties while his wife takes sick leave. His daughter has moved to Australia and the King carries out duties sparingly due to his age. (Getty)
She underwent lung rehabilitation in October in an attempt to reduce symptoms and improve her quality of life after the condition worsened.
“She has been in hospital but she has also done several official duties, more than I expected,” Skrede says.
“In March, [the palace] told us that her health has declined and that she has to reduce her duties permanently, so we will be seeing less of her.
“It’s difficult because her disease varies from day to day. And it’s difficult with royal duties because you have to plan and people are expecting you. This disease affects them really hard.”
Skrede points to an engagement in September when the Crown Prince couple toured rural Norway.
“The Crown Princess was to give a speech and when she came up to the podium she had problems talking because she didn’t have enough breath.
“And she had to spell it out and say ‘Excuse me, sorry, I have problems catching enough breath to be able to to do the speech’.
“It’s a sad story, really.”
‘Moving so far away when they really need her’
Some might wonder why Princess Ingrid Alexandra has chosen to study in Australia, so far away from Norway during a time when it can be argued her family needs her presence more than ever.
Skrede says Australia was chosen for a very specific reason.
“This tells us how important it is for the princess to be able to live a free life as a young woman doing her studies, being with friends, doing normal stuff, without being looked at all the time.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra attended a state banquet for the first time in April. (AP)
“She wants to be Ingrid. She’s not ready to be an official person yet.
“Moving so far away from home from her old grandparents – the King and Queen, they’re 88 – and we know about the family’s struggles.
“Choosing to move so far away when they really need her there, that tells us that it’s important for her to be free as Ingrid.”
‘They are devasted. She’s stabbing her father in the back’
If the Crown Princess’ health, and the criminal trial of her son, weren’t bad enough, Norway’s royal family has also had to deal with the ongoing controversy of Princess Märtha Louise and her American husband, Shaman Durek Verrett.
The King and Queen’s eldest daughter, who is fourth-in-line to the throne, were the stars of a tell-all documentary on Netflix in September.
Princess Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek Verrett as seen in Rebel Royals. (Courtesy of Netflix)
The palace was swift in its condemnation of Princess Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek’s participation in Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, saying it was “a breach of the agreement” made in the wake of Princess Märtha Louise’s royal exit three years ago.
Much of the documentary focused on Princess Märtha Louise’s royal connections and Shaman Durek preparing to marry into the Norwegian royal family.
But the biggest issue came when Durek suggested in his view royal in-laws did not do enough to condemn the racist abuse levelled at him, accusing the royals of not understanding racism.
“They are really sad, they were devastated,” Skrede says. “We can see that this is really hard on them.
King Harald and Queen Sonja are said to be “devasted” by his daughter’s involvement in a tell-all documentary. (Getty)
The couple has an agreement with the Royal House that they will not use their title or affiliation with the royal family in any commercial or business activities.
“Seventy per cent of Norwegians say in several opinion polls that she should lose her princess title now,” Skrede says.
The Royal House of Norway’s line of succession. (Graphic: Polly Hanning)
“But the King, when he was asked about this, he said ‘no we are not removing the title, she’s still a princess as of now’.
“And that tells me that it’s possible. If he won’t do it, the Crown Prince might do it when he is King one day.”
‘Everything is being overshadowed by these scandals’
Similarities could be made between Britain’s House of Windsor and Norway’s House of Glücksburg regarding the issue of removing titles and criminal accusations.
The coming trial of Høiby, and the ongoing debate about Märtha Louise’s princess title, is threatening to affect the Royal House’s reputation permanently.
“Everything they do is being overshadowed by these two scandals, it really affects their work, it is personally very hard for them” Skrede says.
The principal members of the Royal House of Norway in May, 2025, at the Royal Palace in Oslo. (Getty)
The Norwegian royal family has found itself at the centre of global headlines over the past 12 months, going from being one of the lesser-known royal houses in Europe to one of the most talked about.
”Not all of it, but a lot of [the attention] is because of all the scandals,” Skrede says.
“Some people say that this is the beginning of the end. There are people saying that King Harald should be the last king.”
Affection for the royal family in Norway remains high, however, with 70 per cent supporting the country having a monarchy.
The Norwegian royals with Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary during a state visit to Oslo on May 14, 2024. (Rodrigo Freitas, Pool Photo via AP )
“Norwegians really love King Harald and Queen Sonja, they have a lot of respect for them. We are still very fond of our royal family.
“But more and more Norwegians are expressing scepticism because of all the things happening, especially around Marius and Märtha and Durek Verrett.”
In situations like these, attention invariably turns to the future of the institution.
The princess is doing a three-year bachelor’s degree in social science, specialising in international relations and political economy, a course that will be relevant for her future job as Queen of Norway.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra is second-in-line to the throne and has moved to Australia for university.. (Getty)
Ingrid Alexandra will one day make history by becoming Norway’s first queen regnant in more than 600 years.
Despite her place as heir-in-waiting, Princess Ingrid Alexandra has only recently begun carrying out regular appearances at public events in Norway.
In April, she joined her parents and the King and Queen for a state banquet inside the royal palace hosted for Iceland’s visiting presidential couple. It was the first time she had taken part in such a formal occasion and the highest level of a foreign visit.
Also that month, the princess completed her military service and in June, she and her younger brother Prince Sverre Magnus carried out their first solo engagement.
Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra with French President Emmanuel Macron in June on an official visit to Oslo. (Getty)
The documentary Skrede is working on, to air in late December, will explore Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s place as second-in-line to the throne after her father.
“It’s important to see how the next generation royals are doing while the whole royal family is experiencing difficult times,” Skrede says.
“What we are asking is ‘what kind of kingdom will they inherit when all these problems have hopefully solved?’
The tiaras worn by the women of the Norwegian royal family
“Can Ingrid manage to be in the public eye with all this happening?
“I asked myself that, too. Will it be possible for a private person like Ingrid to step into all this, when we see how difficult it is for them now.
“I think Crown Prince Haakon, or King Haakon, when that time comes, he will sort out the Märtha issue.”
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