Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has broken his silence on the scandal surrounding his stepson, who has been accused of rape and domestic violence.
27-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, who is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship before she married Prince Haakon in 2000, will face 32 criminal abuse charges.
He was first arrested in August 2024 after being accused of attacking a 20-year-old woman 'psychologically and physically,' according to Norwegian outlet Se og Hør.
Marius was officially charged with 32 crimes, including one count of rape with sexual intercourse and three counts of rape without intercourse, by Norway's state prosecutor on Monday.
His attorney said that Marius will plead guilty to some lesser crimes but disputes the most serious charges. 'He does not agree with the claims regarding rape and domestic violence,' he said, according to Reuters.
In his first public statement since the charges were announced, Prince Haakon told reporters, 'We will continue to carry out our duties as best we can, as we always do,' according to Reuters. 'Everyone involved in this case probably finds it challenging and difficult.'
Marius has never had a royal title, and in 2017, it was announced that he would not have a public role within the family. He hasn't been photographed with the royals since June 2022, when he posed for his half sister's 18th birthday.
Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit also share two children: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 21, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 19.
The princess has said that her son has been seeking 'professional help' and that they had been doing so 'for a long time.'
'I don’t think we would have been able to be in a situation like this without having that help, together as a family, and at the same time fulfill our obligations to the Norwegian people,' she said on the NRK program The Year of the Royal Family 2024.
