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Son of Norway’s crown princess arrested for alleged assault on woman

Marius Borg Høiby understood to be with his mother at royal estate after she cancelled Olympics trip

The crown princess of Norway’s eldest son has been arrested for an alleged assault on a women in her 20s at an Oslo apartment.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit was forced to call off a planned visit to the Olympics in Paris as her son Marius Borg Høiby, 27, spent 30 hours in custody.
He is accused of attacking the woman “psychologically and physically” on Sunday. She was discharged from hospital the next day after being diagnosed with a concussion.
Mr Høiby, who was three when his mother met Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, was released on Monday.
A blood test for drugs was taken and he was also charged with causing damage after reports the apartment was “destroyed” when police arrived.
“It’s a serious matter when police are involved like this,” Prince Haakon, his stepfather, told Norwegian media. “At the same time, it would not be right for me to comment on it at this time.”
Trond Norén Isaksen, a historian, said it was the first time a member of the Norwegian royal family had been charged with a crime.
On Wednesday, Mr Høiby was understood to be with his mother at the Skaugum royal estate in Asker, south-west of Oslo.
Princess Mette-Marit, 50, had been due to travel to the Olympics on Aug 6 with her husband for several days of engagements until Aug 10.
Instead, Prince Haakon, the 51-year-old heir to the throne, attended the men’s 1500 metres final in Paris and equestrian events at Versailles alone.
“The Crown Princess has temporarily postponed her departure and hopes to travel down later,” a spokesman said.
Oyvind Bratlien, Mr Høiby’s lawyer, told Se og Hør magazine: “It is important that the process is allowed to take its course in the right way, and that the media respects my client’s need for privacy and tranquillity.
“The charge concerns bodily harm, which according to the law is the least serious form of violence. Neither my client nor I have been made aware of the full content of the case, nor has he explained himself yet, on my advice.”
Bodily harm can be punished with a fine or imprisonment of up to one year.
Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon also have a daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, who is the future Queen of Norway, and a son, Prince Sverre Magnus, 18.
Growing up, Mr Høiby would make public appearances with his mother, stepfather and siblings.
He stepped back from public life in 2017, when he was 20, because he wanted privacy, and his portrait and details were removed from the palace website.
“Marius became a symbol for the unusual choice we made when we married,” his mother wrote in an emotional open letter at the time, which said his role had been difficult to define.
“He won’t have a public role and is not a public person,” she added.
Princess Mette-Marit’s wedding to Prince Haakon at Oslo Cathedral in 2001 was controversial because she was a single mother with a scandalous past.
Her former boyfriend, Mr Høiby’s father, had been sentenced to prison for assault and possession of cocaine.
In a tearful press conference days before the wedding, she apologised amid reports she had been present at parties where illegal drugs were taken.
“My youth rebellion was much stronger than many others,” she said. “That resulted in me living quite a wild life.”
Mr Høiby’s arrest comes just weeks before another controversial wedding in the family.  
Princess Martha Louise, Haakon’s older sister, is to marry American Durek Verrett, a self-styled “shaman”, on Aug 31.
She stepped down as a senior member of the royal family, in what was dubbed Norway’s Megxit, in 2022 amid accusations she was using her royal title for profit.
Her partner’s controversial views were also a factor. Mr Verrett, 49, believes sadness causes child cancer, and sold medallions online to ward off Covid-19.
The Hollywood guru also claims to have risen from the dead and to have predicted the September 11 terror attacks.
He runs an alternative medicine business with the princess, who recently claimed her childhood bedroom in the royal palace was haunted by a Nazi general who killed himself there during the dying days of the Second World War.

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