Crown Princess Mette-Marit turns 52 on 19 August and is set to have one of her most difficult birthdays yet.
The Norwegian royal's son, Marius Borg Høiby, has been charged with 32 offences including four counts of rape, a prosecutor has said.
On Monday 18 August, Norwegian prosecutors announced that they have indicted the eldest son of Norway’s crown princess on multiple charges, including rape, following a lengthy investigation.
Marius, whose stepfather is Crown Prince Haakon, future King of Norway, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted, broadcaster NRK reported.
In addition to four counts of rape, the other charges included counts of domestic abuse against a former partner and several counts of violence, disturbing the peace, vandalism and violation of restraining orders against another former partner.
He has also been charged with filming the genitals of a number of women without their knowledge or consent, public prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo told reporters. "The maximum penalty for the offences listed in the indictment is imprisonment of up to 10 years," he said.
"These are very serious acts that can leave lasting scars and destroy lives "The fact that Marius Borg Hoiby is a member of the royal family should, of course, not mean that he should be treated more lightly or more severely than if similar acts had been committed by others," Henriksbo said.
Back in August 2024, he was taken into police custody after allegedly attacking a woman in her 20s "psychologically and physically". A month later, he was re-arrested for allegedly violating a restraining order following "an incident in an apartment".
At the time of his first arrest, Marius said: "Last weekend something happened that should never have happened. I committed bodily harm and destroyed objects in an apartment in the intoxication of alcohol and cocaine after an argument.
"The drug use and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened in the apartment at Frogner on the night of Sunday last weekend. I want to be responsible for what I have done, and will explain myself truthfully to the police.
"For me, the most important thing is to say sorry to my girlfriend. She deserved neither what happened that night, nor the extreme pressure from both the Norwegian and foreign press afterwards. Being pursued by photographers and journalists at a time like this I know has been tough to stand in."