Norway's Royal Family Faces Its "Biggest Crisis Ever"

Crown Princess Mette-Marit sitting next to Crown Prince Haakon on a stage

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Norway's royal family has been making headlines since Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby, was first arrested in 2024, but on Monday, February 2, Høiby was jailed for new charges—just one day before his high-profile rape trial. The incident occurred after Mette-Marit's name was mentioned in a new batch of the Epstein files over the weekend, with friendly emails between the future Norwegian queen and Jeffrey Epstein included in the latest release of documents.

Per Norwegian media outlet NRK, Høiby was arrested late on Sunday, February 1 and charged with threats with a knife, breach of a restraining order and bodily harm. The 29-year-old has already been accused of more than 30 charges, including rape and drug trafficking, with his trial to begin February 3. He'll remain in prison for four weeks, according to NRK.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son, who was born before his mother met Crown Prince Haakon, does not hold a royal title or perform any duties, but his recent legal troubles have put a stain on the family's reputation. And with the future queen's name mentioned in more than 1,000 files involving Jeffrey Epstein, Norway's monarchy is facing its most serious crisis of all time.

Crown Prince Haakon wearing a suit and Crown Princess Mette-Marit in a black coat waving to schoolkids outside — Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit visit Fredrikstad Library on January 28.

An opinion piece in El Mundo America stated that "the Royal House of the wealthy Nordic country is facing its deepest crisis," adding that a recent survey in Norway "indicated that only 30% of citizens believe she can be a good queen consort."

Mette-Marit sent numerous emails to the late sex offender, exchanging book reviews, teeth whitening recommendations and complaints about the "boring" wedding of Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg.

"Jeffrey Epstein is responsible for his actions. I must take responsibility for not checking Epstein's background better and for not understanding quickly enough what kind of person he was," the princess said in a statement shared with the media on Saturday, January 31.

"I deeply regret that, and this is a responsibility I must take. I showed poor judgment, and I regret ever having any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing," she continued.

The Norwegian Royal Family posing for a formal portrait in gowns and tuxedos — Marius Borg Høiby (top row, right) is pictured with his maternal grandmother (top row, left) and members of the Norwegian royal family in 2022.

Now, Norwegian media outlet VG has reported that Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been dropped as patron of the Skamløsprisen or Shameless Award, a prize for those who "have encouraged courage and openness about shameful areas within sexuality."

The Sex and Society foundation confirmed to VG that it "held an emergency meeting on Monday regarding the Crown Princess's patronage" and deemed it was no longer appropriate for her to hold the title.

The media outlet reported that other organizations are reviewing Mette-Marit's patronage and determining next steps but it's "too early" to make a decision.

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.