King Harald V of Norway has been remembered as the country's grandfather, a beloved figure who reigned for more than three decades. For Marius Borg Høiby, who joined the late monarch's family at a young age, Harald was not his grandfather by blood, but he became "an important grandfather figure" to him, Se og Hør royal reporter Caroline Vagle tells HELLO!. Under other circumstances, Marius' appearance with the royal family after the King's death would not have raised eyebrows. But, as a convicted rapist, his presence is almost impossible to ignore.
Three days after Harald's passing, Marius, the son of Norway's new Queen Consort, Mette-Marit, from a previous relationship, appeared alongside his stepfather, now-King Haakon VIII, as well as his half-sister Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, his half-brother Prince Sverre Magnus, Princess Märtha Louise, and her three daughters - Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora and Emma Tallulah- as they accompanied Harald's casket to the Palace Chapel, where he will remain until the state funeral on September 9.
© Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty ImagesMarius, 29, walked behind Harald's eldest grandchild, Maud Angelica Behn, helping to move the casket from the palace's Red Salon. Given his conviction this summer, the appearance by King Haakon's stepson on Aug. 31 took some by surprise.
Just months before Harald's passing, Marius was sentenced to four years in prison, after being found guilty of rape and other offenses. Since July, he has been out of jail and under house arrest at the royal estate of Skaugum, while his legal team appeals the sentencing. He was, however, permitted to visit the late King at the hospital before he died on Aug. 28. Marius has also been granted permission to attend Harald's state funeral, which is set to be attended by royals from across Europe.
© Lise Aserud / NTB / POOLWhile Marius is the son of Norway's new Queen Consort and the older brother of the heir to the Norwegian throne, he himself is not a member of the Royal House and does not hold a public role. On the eve of his 20th birthday in 2017, Mette-Marit penned an open letter, writing that her son "always had a role that has been difficult to define in the public sphere," but called him an "exceptionally important part of our family," who was not a public figure and did not want to live a life in the public eye.
Marius was four years old when his mother married the then-Crown Prince of Norway in 2001, bringing him into the royal family, with King Harald viewing him as a grandson, according to Caroline.
"The King and Queen welcomed both of them with open arms. He grew up with King Harald as a grandfather figure and called him 'Bestefar Harald' – Grandpa Harald," Caroline says.
Whether it was the King's wish to have Marius included in the funeral proceedings, Caroline notes, one cannot say for certain. But she adds: "We know that King Harald was a very generous and warm person, who believed in looking after everyone – including those who find themselves on the outside of society."
© Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB / AFP via Getty Images / Norway OUTIt is also "not unnatural," Caroline says, that Marius was present when the family said goodbye to King Harald.
"In fact, the ceremony at the Palace was considered a private family ceremony," she explains. "But I understand why many people react to his prominent position, precisely because of the seriousness of the situation surrounding Marius."
Royal commentator and historian Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen points out that during the succession in 1991, after King Olav V died, the same ceremony was "very private," with "only one picture" existing from it.
"Due to the ceremony's initial private nature, it was for the royal family natural to include Marius Borg Høiby in the ceremony as one of King Harald's grandchildren," Ole-Jørgen tells HELLO!, noting that the word "grandchildren" has been used by the Norwegian Royal House.
While Marius' appearance was surprising to many, Caroline describes public opinion in Norway as divided.
"Many people will understand that a person should be allowed to grieve for someone who was important in his life. At the same time, it is difficult to ignore the situation Marius himself is in," she says.
© Ragnar Singsaas/WireImageAlthough his mother now has a new title, Marius still remains outside the royal house.
"But socially and as a family matter, the situation is of course different. He is the Queen’s son and the King’s stepson. That means he is very close to the innermost circle of the royal family, even though he has no constitutional or representative role. That distinction is important," Caroline says.
As for whether Marius' continued appearances could possibly impact the public's confidence in the monarchy? Caroline believes they could, though "not necessarily because people believe the royal family should not have private contact with him, but because the boundary between the family and the institution becomes very clear in this situation."
"When Marius appears alongside the royal family in an official and historic setting, it can be perceived as the Royal House also giving him a degree of public legitimacy. That is something quite different from the family supporting him privately," Caroline continues.
The situation with her firstborn no doubt leaves Mette-Marit facing a delicate balancing act between her responsibilities as Queen and her role as a mother to Marius.
Mette-Marit has faced public scrutiny over the past year due the publication of past correspondence between her and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while also dealing with a health battle. The mom of three, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, underwent a lung transplant this past June and has been recovering since.
The Queen pulled out of her husband's swearing-in ceremony before the Storting on Sept. 1, with pulmonologist Are Holm explaining that it's "not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant" and that the Queen was having "complications" that day.
Caroline admits: "It is difficult not to feel sympathy for her right now. She has been through an extremely difficult period, both personally and in terms of her health. She has lost her father-in-law while also going through a demanding period of rehabilitation following her lung transplant. Her health situation is very serious, and I find it very difficult to imagine that people would not feel sympathy for what she is going through."
© Javad Parsa / NTB / AFP via Getty Images / Norway OUTThough she is Queen now, Mette-Marit is not starting with a blank slate. Her new role gives her not only "a new sense of weight and importance, but also a new responsibility."
"I don't think we should say that everything that has been difficult is suddenly forgotten simply because she has a new title," Caroline says. "Norwegians can hold two thoughts in their heads at the same time: They can have critical questions about certain choices she or her family have made, while also feeling a great deal of sympathy for her as a person."
In Caroline's view, Norwegians are seeing Mette-Marit right now as someone going through an incredibly difficult situation. "The role of Queen comes on top of that. That does not mean that previous controversies have disappeared, but grief and illness can make people look at someone differently."
While not all is forgiven or forgotten, Caroline suggests that the perspective may be changing.
"King Harald’s death and the dramatic change of reign mean that many people are now looking at the royal family through the lens of grief and vulnerability," she says. "That can create a new sense of sympathy."
"But particularly the Marius case is not going away. It will continue to be one of the challenges facing the family publicly."
