While the Norwegian royal family was expecting to be busy in August with the controversies arising from the wedding of Princess Martha Louise and the fantastic shaman Durek Verrett, which is taking place this Saturday, another unexpected matter is setting the agenda for the institution. Prince Haakon, heir to King Harald V of Norway, has again answered questions about the police investigations into several cases of open violence against Marius Borg Høiby, the 27-year-old son of his wife, Princess Mette-Marit.
“It is a serious matter. We are concerned that all those involved receive support and have good people around them,” the prince told public broadcaster NRK about his stepson upon his arrival at the oil fair in Stavanger on Monday.
Haakon of Norway in a recent image.
GTRES
Asked whether the new developments surrounding Høiby are deepening the debate on the monarchy, he said: “It is clear that all these issues have an impact on people’s way of thinking. At the same time, the debate on the monarchy is something we follow, but I think it is better to leave it to others to comment on.”
The prince has spoken openly about most of the controversies he has been asked about, but he has declined to comment on some of the issues surrounding his wife and the new details surrounding the case (new lawsuits by two of Høiby’s ex-partners): “I cannot say anything directly about the matter. I ask for your understanding that it is better for the lawyer to answer all questions about the case.”
Høiby has a diplomatic passport and, according to Norwegian media, has used it to evade police outside the country
In the same statements, Prince Haakon has confirmed that his wife’s son has a diplomatic passport. “Since he was little, he has had an ordinary and diplomatic passport,” he said, without commenting on Norwegian tabloid reports that claim that Høiby had used this status in the past to evade police attention abroad, despite not being an official member of the Norwegian royal family or fulfilling official commitments on its behalf.
On the subject of the suspect’s addictions, Haakon said: “We are very close. So we have heard from Marius. We have known some of these problematic complexes. But I don’t want to go into details about it.” Haakon said he had not seen the “shocking images” published by the German newspaper showing Høiby at a party (probably last autumn) posing with what the newspaper calls “most likely” a fake gun, a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and several thousand Norwegian kroner in cash.
Arrest and charges
Marius Borg Høiby is being investigated by Norwegian police for three cases of violence against his ex-girlfriends. The investigation began after a nighttime altercation with his girlfriend, Rebecca Helberg Arntsen, in an apartment in Oslo for which he was arrested last Sunday, August 4. When the incident became public, Juliane Snekkestad and Nora Haukland, both public ex-girlfriends of Marius Borg, claimed on their social networks that they experienced similar episodes of physical and psychological violence during their relationship with him and have already made statements to the police about the events.
Marius was arrested and spent almost two days in police custody before being released under surveillance while the investigation continues. After his release, Høiby moved with his mother to Skaugum Palace, the residence of the crown princes, according to several Norwegian tabloids. The prosecution said after his release that Marius could face up to six years in prison if found guilty, in accordance with provisions of the Norwegian penal code that punish bodily harm inflicted by violence.
Marius Borg Høiby with his mother, Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.
LISE ASERUD / AFP
The future Norwegian king’s stepson confessed in a statement the following week to having assaulted a young woman in his Oslo apartment while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. In the statement issued through his lawyer, Høiby admitted the seriousness of his actions and said that “it should never have happened.”
Høiby said he suffered from “several mental illnesses” that caused him challenges both in his teenage years and in his adult years, as well as his alcohol level. Although he has received treatment in the past, Borg said he will continue with the therapeutic process. Despite his admission of guilt, Mette-Marit’s son stressed that his mental health and substance abuse problems do not justify what happened, and expressed his willingness to take full responsibility for his actions and cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.
Princess Martha Louise and the fantastic shaman Durek Verrett are getting married on August 31st.
EDITORIAL / Other Sources
Marius Borg Høiby has been labelled the black sheep of the Norwegian royal family in the past for their well-known problems. According to Norwegian media, photographs taken at his mistress’s home in Oslo after the argument showed a knife stuck in the wall and a broken chandelier. It was last July that Høiby announced his relationship with Arntsen and the two were expected to attend the wedding of Princess Martha Louise of Norway on 31 August, which was set to be the most controversial event for the Norwegian royal family this summer. According to Norwegian media, the new questioning of Høiby has been rescheduled for this week, between today and 30 August.
