Barely two months into 2026 and the Norwegian royals appear to have found themselves in crisis. But the family's troubles began long before the year started.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was arrested multiple times in 2024 and is facing various charges, including rape, in a trial this week. Days before the trial began on Tuesday, Marius was arrested once again, accused of assault, threats with a knife and violating a restraining order.
Prior to the trial, Crown Prince Haakon confirmed that he and his wife were not planning on being in the courtroom and that Mette-Marit was arranging a "private stay" in the coming weeks. The statement was just before the royal family was dealt another blow with the release of a new batch of Epstein documents. Among the more than three million pages published by the U.S. Department of Justice on January 30 was correspondence between Crown Princess Mette-Marit and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Niklas Kokkinn-Thoresen, editor in chief of Se og Hør Norway, tells HELLO! that the "nature and tone of the contact in the messages" has "come as a great surprise to many" in Norway. "The fact that Crown Princess Mette-Marit met Jeffrey Epstein both at his home and in Oslo, several years after he admitted to sexual abuse, is difficult for many to accept," Niklas says.
In one particular message from 2012, the future queen consort wrote to Epstein: "You always make me smile because you tickle my brain." In another recently released document, Epstein described King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway's daughter-in-law as "twisted" and "not a typical royalty".
Meanwhile, Mette-Marit once penned that Epstein was "very charming" and "such a sweetheart". In 2011, she emailed Epstein, who registered as a sex offender after a 2008 case, telling him: "Googled u after last email Agree didn't look too good : )." She also asked him in 2012 if it was "inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for" her then-15-year-old son's wallpaper.
Mette-Marit has been married to the heir to the Norwegian throne since 2001. She and Crown Prince Haakon welcomed their first child together, daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra, in 2004, followed by their son Prince Sverre Magnus in 2005. The mom of three was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018. This past December, it was revealed that the process towards an evaluation for a potential lung transplant surgery had started.
According to Niklas, Mette-Marit is "very popular" in Norway and "perceived by many as down-to-earth and a good representative of the Royal House". "She has probably become more and more popular in recent years, up until all the scandals that emerged over the past year and a half," Niklas notes. The latest Epstein documents, exposing her correspondence with the late pedophile, might now very well further affect the crown princess' popularity.
"The revelations of the past few days place the Crown Princess in a very bad light and, not least, cast doubt on her honesty toward the Norwegian people. The Epstein case will definitely affect the monarchy – and especially her – in a negative way," Niklas says.
He adds: "This could potentially become very problematic for the monarchy if many questions remain unanswered.
"There is already an ongoing debate about whether Mette-Marit can become queen after this, and she has also lost her patronage of one association, while several others are considering whether she can retain her patronage of their organizations."
On February 2, Sex og samfunn, Norway's largest specialist centre for sexual and reproductive health and rights, announced that it was ending its collaboration with Mette-Marit, who is patron of the Skamløs Prize (Shameless Award). The foundation explained that while they do not know everything, what has been made known thus far is "incompatible" with what the prize stands for.
Since the release of the documents last week, Mette-Marit has expressed regret over her contact with Epstein. In a statement first reported by NRK and shared by the Royal House with HELLO!, the crown princess said: "Jeffrey Epstein is solely responsible for his actions. I must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein's background more thoroughly, and for not realizing sooner what kind of person he was."
"I deeply regret this, and it is a responsibility I must bear. I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing. I wish to express my deep sympathy and solidarity with the victims of the abuse committed by Jeffrey Epstein," she continued.
Mette-Marit has previously acknowledged her past association with Epstein. In 2019, she told DN: "I would never have had anything to do with Epstein if I had been aware of the seriousness of his criminal acts. I should have investigated Epstein's past more closely, and I regret that I did not."
Niklas believes it's "crucial" that the crown princess come forward and fully disclose her interactions with Epstein.
"The contact she has had with him appears both intimate and shocking. Therefore, it is important that she herself explains how this could have happened."
Another question is whether she received any warnings or advice from the police or her security personnel. It is strange if no one warned her against maintaining contact with a man who has been convicted of purchasing sexual services from minors."
The editor in chief further believes that the Epstein case has caused significant damage to the Royal House and its communication with the public. Niklas says: "It now appears as if they are trying to hide the truth about the contact between Epstein and the Crown Princess and are not telling the full and complete truth."
In the same way Queen Elizabeth II famously referred to 1992 as an "annus horribilis," a year that she would not look back on with undiluted pleasure, the Norwegian royals now seem to be facing an annus horribilis of their own.