Norway’s Princess Mette-Marit is married to Crown Prince Haakon. Before they married, she had a child, her son Marius Borg Høiby, who will stand trial for multiple rape charges this week in Oslo. That alone is being called the biggest scandal to ever hit the Norwegian royal family, the fact that the future king’s stepson has been charged with a long list of major crimes, including assault and rape. But Mette-Marit has a lot of other problems – she’s in really poor health and she will likely receive a lung transplant soon. And she was good friends with Jeffrey Epstein, and a bunch of their old emails were released in the latest batch of Epstein documents.
Emails sent by Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway are among the 3 million files to have been released by the US Department of Justice relating to the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. A newly leaked file that dates back to October 2012 reveals an email exchange between the wife of Crown Prince Haakon and the disgraced paedophile financier, in which Epstein asks Mette-Marit: “Weather was too bad, I returned to NY..how was your wedding.”
In an email dated 21 October 2012, the Norwegian royal, 52, penned in response: “Boring wedding. Was like some kind of old movie. Where you know the characters are not hanging around for much long[er].”
The email, sent from a redacted email address under the name “HKH Kronprinsessen, was dated just days after the wedding of Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg, who tied the knot in a two-day celebration on 19 and 20 October 2012. Both Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit were in attendance, as were King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, as well as King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
The Crown Princess’ name featured in several of the Epstein files in regard to email exchanges with the sex offender, who died at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City in 2019. On Friday, the royal issued a statement addressing their interactions, which included discussion of her family life, her meeting him at his Florida home, and Jeffrey’s attempts at “wife hunting”.
Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Mette-Marit disavowed her friendship with Epstein, and spoke of her “regret” for not looking into his background and not “understanding” who he was.
“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,” she said in a statement given to the broadcaster. Mette-Marit continued: “I deeply regret that, and this is a responsibility I must take. I showed poor judgment and regret ever having any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing.”
The royal had first been linked with the disgraced financier back in 2019, following his death in a prison cell. In a statement issued at the time, she said: “I would never have had anything to do with Epstein if I had been aware of the seriousness of his criminal acts. I should have investigated Epstein’s past and regret that I did not.”
It was already known that Mette-Marit and Epstein were friends from 2011-14, years after everyone knew that Epstein was a convicted p3do. But seeing how often they emailed during that time is just… extremely odd. While there are tons of documents in the Epstein Files which have shocked me and sickened me, I’m continuously astonished by how many so-called elites – royals, journalists, captains of industry, politicians – were all in regular contact with Epstein for years. They were emailing him about mundane things at times, often just sharing gossip or trying to find out Epstein’s gossip. It’s so odd. I’m including some of the emails between Epstein and Mette-Marit below.
The BBC had a comprehensive story piece about Marius Borg Høiby’s trial, which starts this week – go here to read. It’s being called Norway’s biggest trial in a century and the biggest scandal in the history of Norway’s royal family. He’s facing 38 charges, “including the rape of four women, assaulting and threatening a girlfriend and damaging her flat, as well as drugs charges and driving offences. If found guilty he could face more than 10 years in jail.”
Incidentally, Norway’s prime minister has now weighed in on Mette-Marit’s lengthy history with Epstein, and there seems to be a growing conversation that something major needs to shift for both her and Haakon. As in, divorce?
Crown-princesess Mette Marit of Norway took her kids to Epstein pic.twitter.com/ZDdFOOBrpk
— Ᏼarƙ🪵 (@stammebark) January 31, 2026
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit to Epstein: “You always make me smile… Because you tickle my brain.”
Her name appears several hundred times in the Epstein files.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/7ybQoByWND
— AF Post (@AFpost) January 31, 2026
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.
-
- Kronprinz Haakon von Norwegen und Kronprinzessin Mette-Marit von Norwegen beim Besuch der Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer an der Bernauer Straße. Berlin, 09.11.2023 *** Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse Berlin, 09 11 2023 Foto:xF.xKernx/xFuturexImagex haakon_berlin_3135,Image: 820858219, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Frederic Kern / Avalon
-
- Kronprinz Haakon von Norwegen und Kronprinzessin Mette-Marit von Norwegen beim Besuch der Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer an der Bernauer Straße. Berlin, 09.11.2023 *** Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse Berlin, 09 11 2023 Foto:xF.xKernx/xFuturexImagex haakon_berlin_3126,Image: 820858229, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Frederic Kern / Avalon
-
- Paris, Frankreich: Handball Olympia Frauen – Finale – Norwegen – Frankreich v.li. Kronprinz Haakon von Norwegen, Kronprinzessin Mette-Marit von Norwegen Lille Stade Pierre Mauroy Frankreich *** Paris, France Handball Olympic Womens Final Norway France from left Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway Lille Stade Pierre Mauroy France,Image: 897675338, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Marco Wolf/Avalon
-
- Kronprinzessin Mette-Marit von Norwegen und Kronprinz Haakon von Norwegen bei der Ankunft zum Abendessen anlässlich des 25. Jubiläums der Nordischen Botschaften im Schloss Bellevue. Berlin, 21.10.2024 *** Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway arriving for dinner on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Nordic Embassies at Bellevue Palace Berlin, 21 10 2024 Foto:xF.xKernx/xFuturexImagex abendessen_bellevue_4003,Image: 924768925, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Frederic Kern/Avalon
-
- New York, CA – Financier Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead on 10 August 2019 in his prison cell in New York while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein, 66, had pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was being held without bail. Pictured: Jeffrey Epstein BACKGRID USA 10 AUGUST 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Oslo, NORWAY **FILE PHOTOS** Marius Borg Hoiby, 28, is under investigation for three rapes and 20 additional offenses following his arrest in August 2024. His lawyer denies the rape charges, while he has admitted to assault and vandalism, citing substance abuse issues. The case is now with prosecutors to determine possible charges. Pictured: Marius Borg Hoiby BACKGRID USA 27 JUNE 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
“(T)hat something major that needs to shift…” Could there be talk of Haakon’s abdication in favor of his daughter?
I can’t really see them divorcing, they always look so much in love.
Also, was that swipe at the Luxembourg wedding a comment that she didn’t think the couple would stay together? Or, that it was a sham?
I don’t know if I see them divorcing either. But yeah maybe abdication. How old is his daughter though?
Ingrid Alexandra is 22.
@MAYP There are problems with her too in that she’s known as the “Snow Princess”.
Please tell…. Are you talking drugs or that she just skis a lot?
Apparently, she loves the white powder 😉
That just seems to be a nasty internet rumor that popped up a few months ago with no evidence.
Haakon stepping aside and making Ingrid Alexandra the Crown Princess probably won’t help anything in terms of public perception. She has continued to be supportive of her creep brother even after the family sent her to Australia to try and separate her from the mess.
Harald and Sonja must be apoplectic seeing this mess and having no good options. Martha Louise is a mess too so it’s not like they could push out Haakon and his line in favor of her.
She’s his sister and loves him. It’s completely understandable and there’s nothing wrong in admitting it. It does not mean she’d accept what he’s done. I know from experience love does not just die when your loved one does something wrong. That’s how we human beings are, and I appreciate her honesty. It’s tragedy for any family when things go wrong for a family member, and her family is no exception. Ingrid Alexandra will make a good queen some day. I can understand why she wanted to study abroad outside of her role as a member of the royal family. It doesn’t need to have anything to do with her brother’s situation.
@Grace — I understand what you’re saying, but this isn’t — “tragedy for any family when things go wrong for a family member.”
“Things” didn’t “go wrong” for him. He is charged with 38 offenses — domestic abuse, four counts of rape, and illegal filming of many women without their knowledge or consent. He’s also up on assault charges (a knife) and violating a restraining order.
He was the active perpetrator, so passive voice (“things went wrong”) isn’t accurate.
She continued being friends with Epstein after he was convicted. Plus you can understand now why her son turned out the way he did.
Having gone through the agony of my loved ones facing severe mental health and drug abuse issues as well as becoming criminals, I dare to say there are no simple answers as to why someone gets such issues.
I think in the case of her son it is pretty simple – he has been enabled and protected his whole life. And I doubt her connection to Epstein had anything to do with that
She was asking Esptein for advice a out whether it was appropriate for her 15 year old son to have a screen saver on his phone with naked women on it…but ok.
What does that have to do with anything? Did Epstein raise her son? No. There was nothing stopping her from just saying “No, that’s inappropriate”, as she and her husband have always failed to do.
Epstein didn’t make them release statements of support after the horrific rape charges came out, after all.
It speaks to her morals and ethics. I don’t understand why you’re going in so hard for this woman. She’s a boy mom who overindulged her oldest son and who tried to interfere in the police investigation against him.
As I said, I have gone through the agony myself, seeing loved ones becoming addicts, criminals and facing mental health issues. They have come from different backgrounds, so I don’t think there’s just one simple conclusion one can jump to. Wish there was as that would make things easy, but there just isn’t.
Amy Bee: I think my other comments adequately show I think Mette Marit and her husband are not great people. I agree with you about how it shows her ethics. I think the Epstein thing is peripheral to Marius is all.
Grace: I find it very wrong when people try to use the “compassion and grace” approach towards wealthy exploitative people committing rapes and crimes on the taxpayer’s dime. This family is not a group of everyday people struggling with adequate psychological and social resources and support. They’re wealthy elites who do this because they can. Frankly the fact that this trial is even happening shows how serious it is, because Mette-Marit tried to bury this legally.
It was wrong when Elizabeth protected Andrew. This situation is no different.
@Crystal, I’m confused by your defense of Epstein regarding the influence he might have had on Mette-Marit’s son?
Yes, it’s true he didn’t raise her son and there was nothing stopping her from parenting him appropriately…
and yet, as @Amy Bee’s comment shows, she didn’t.
Instead, Mette-Marit STILL went to Epstein – at this time a convicted sex trafficker, so her “I should have background checked him further” is just BS – and known pedophile – for moral parenting advice on what kinds of sexual behavior are appropriate for a teen boy.
Epstein was her moral compass on raising the son, so yeah, why would anyone be surprised that he too turned out to be a rapist?
(To be clear, I’m laying the blame on ALL of them and highlighting that any parent turning to Epstein for advice is doing a bad parenting job. I’m just confused why you think, even though she clearly sought Epstein’s feedback on sex questions for her son, he had no influence here.)
Saying Epstein didn’t raise her son isn’t defending him. It’s a fact. And in no way does it take away from how terrible he was. But again, he didn’t raise Marius. He didn’t cover up Marius’s previous crimes. And he didn’t take Marius on vacation to Portugal when the news was coming up.
During his life Epstein was busy organizing other horrible things and I am sure in between his trafficking and the embezzlement he was not particularly interested in helping her parent her son. If he was really Mette-Marit’s moral compass it still says more about her than it does in assigning the functional and active responsibility for Marius’s outcome to Epstein. I don’t really understand what’s particularly confusing about that. Marius’s issues have a longer and deeper history than Mette-Marit consulting Epstein and they involve the complicity of the Crown Prince too.
We have a terrible family on the one hand that consulted a horrifying trafficker for advice a couple of times. But all things considered, even if Mette-Marit asked his advice, there was nothing stopping her from going against it and being the mother (and royal representative) she should have been. That goes for Haakon too.
Furthermore, I am all over this post saying what Mette-Marit and her husband did is inexcusable. And the person saying she might just have been remiss in checking his background and befriended him innocently was absolutely not me.
Evil has no gender…
She is very much the Sarah Ferguson of her country 😆
I’m sorry she’s so unwell, however, I almost think she’s worse than Fergie, and it’s beyond me how such a lovely man like Crown Prince Hakkon can be so completely enamored by her, and his family so accepting/tolerant.
Because the Norwegian royals are not like the British ones. They’re all untethered in some ways, and Haakon marrying Mette-Marit is not a big deal compared to the rest.
Haakon’s stepson is at the center of one of the worst rape trials their country has ever seen and Haakon released a statement of support and love (and there are the rumors both he and his wife have tried to intervene in the litigation, and then the Portugal vacation he took Marius on in the midst of the rape charges). I don’t think he is lovely and I think they are cut of the same cloth.
There is no good way to spin this and they should all be ashamed.
I’m kind of surprised how few official media commentators have registered the Epstein story as a paradigm of exploitation in late stage capitalism. I mean. What these people all had in common was their elitism. Their access to his circle implied a stature, a status, a cachet — whether it be royalist (Andrew, Mette Marit) or techno billionaire (Bill Gates) or academic (Larry Summers) — that excluded the plebs. And the girls he exploited were just that: plebs, in the eyes of his circle. These people are accustomed to receiving fawning personal service from dawn to dusk. Why should this be any different? It’s a spectrum, and they crossed a line without seeing it. Because that spectrum is a slippery slope.
Excellent point.
These are wealthy, elitist pedophiles. But let’s never lose sight of the fact that the sexual abuse of children and women occurs in all classes as well as all economic systems. Also, Noam Chomsky? What’s he doing here?
Because the media commentators belong to the same class or are in the same circles as these billionaires and high profile people. It’s the same reason that US media spent hours covering the Queen’s funeral. They venerate these people.
When you think who owns the major media: and social media sources: Bozos, Musk, Ellison, Bari Weiss in charge at CBS its no wonder we aren’t hearing.
I think most people don’t understand that Epstein’s financier “status” put him in contact with a lot of people who didn’t necessarily know anything much less commit crimes (although there are many who did).
But this argument makes more sense when not applied to European royals who probably all knew what he was up to given his presence in the circle of the British royal family for financial AND trafficking reasons.
More to the point: Can someone explain to me if Haakon and Mette-Marit are being held accountable for all their sketchiness, last but not least their continued support of Marius Hoiby?
I am old enough to remember when he wanted to marry her people were advising caution about her marrying into the family and he waged battles to wed her. Whoops. The naysayers turned out to be – right?
Haakon and Mette-Marit seem to be very much in love, and their two children Alexandra and Sverre seem to be well-adjusted, nice young people. My understanding is that Mette-Marit has done well in her role as a crown princess and represented the royal house well. I cannot understand how she got to know Epstein and what attracted her to him, but at the same time I think we all make mistakes and show poor judgment sometimes. I just don’t understand why rich, privileged people accept freebies like free holidays just like that when they can afford whatever they need. Maybe she was flattered by his interest in being friends with her and didn’t want to believe anything bad about him, we don’t know, but she showed complete lack of judgment when she wasn’t honest about it from the very beginning as soon as her name was connected to his. Maybe it was a panic reaction amidst everything else she’s going through just now.
I can understand her completely when she, as a mother, stands by her son. That’s what most parents do and it’s natural. All the publicity must be adding to her agony and we cannot know how much she and Haakon have struggled trying to help her son. I feel for the victims, too. This is not easy for anyone involved. Stories like this are always very sad and I’m not saying I’m defending him. I just want to point out it’s easy to jump to conclusions if you haven’t been through this kind of hell yourself and learnt there’s no easy way to find an answer.
From everything I have read and observed over the years, she has not been particularly noteworthy in her role overall. When she met Epstein it was during the period when she was jet-setting around the world and living flashy instead of doing the royal work she was supposed to be doing. Reading her e-mails with Epstein, one of them pretty much confirms the rumors back then that she cheated on Haakon.
And her getting mixed up with Epstein is not surprising when you consider the type of people she was hanging with before she joined the Norwegian royals. I suspect she got bored with “staid” royal life and wanted some of her old “fun” life back.
She called her son’s victims on the phone and harangued them. Is that the kind of “struggle” or “helping” you’re referring to ?
Sorry for what happened in your family, but it is not okay to DARVO (deny-accuse-reverse-victim&offender). We have faaaar too much of that going on in our culture.
How thoughtless and stupid of Mette, to befriend a person like Epstein. I wonder how they met? Did other members of the NRF know and associate with him? Why didn’t they try to get ahead of this news and release an apology,etc before the documents were released? Surely they knew that her name might come up? Stupid, stupid people!
“I’m continuously astonished by how many so-called elites – royals, journalists, captains of industry, politicians – were all in regular contact with Epstein for years.”
All of these people are to blame for being “friends” with Epstein. However, I think Epstein chased “royals, journalists, captains of industry, politicians” and was very seductive in the manner he chased them. Epstein seemed especially to crave attention from Royals and Politicians. I am not excusing any of these “royals, journalists, captains of industry, politicians” but it seems to me that Epstein had a powerful ability to seduce people into his web.
The continental royals may be more down to earth and connected to the common folk, but this is an example of how that really doesn’t make much difference. Monarchy breeds a sense of entitlement and arrogance even in the married-ins. In the 21st century, it serves no purpose which can’t be performed better by an appointed or elected official. Abolish ALL monarchies. None of them seem to be accountable to the people they allegedly serve.
Agreed.
Agreed. Down with all monarchies. Because anything that makes you idle enough to hobnob with a known pedo in light of the responsibilities you have to the Crown and country – might as well work for a crust like the rest of us.
100% agree
While I agree that monarchies suck, we’re not doing so well with elected officials in the US. Our system needs some serious overhauling, if we can manage to survive the Trump era.
I agree with that too. But at least our elected officials are ultimately accountable to the people in elections. I haven’t lost all hope because recent special elections have been won by Democrats with North Korea-like margins. Keep the faith. And vote!
Point taken, thank you! And yes the special elections have been encouraging. I will not only vote, I’ll do everything I can to make sure as many people as possible do the same. 🙂
Especially the recent Texas state seat. The Dem won an R+17 seat where no Dem has been elected in decades. And his opponent was bigly endorsed by Trump on truth social—though he is now playing the “never heard of her” Game. And state seats can be vital too even if they’re often overlooked. That’s how the gop played the long game. They always voted in local, midterm, off year and special elections down to dog catcher. They stacked state houses and passed all kinds of bs that ultimately worked its way national.
The ‘supportive’ mother called the women her son raped and abused and threatened them. He got away with his crimes for many years because the mother and stepfather cleaned up behind him. That’s why there are 38 charges. So everyone who is ‘both siding’ this needs to do some research. They are many victims. None of them are royal.
what an evil woman, no wonder her son is a rapist. getting parenting advice from a convicted pedo…
The files have e-mails from the Epstein-ghosted Sarah Ferguson and in one of them she accuses Epstein of befriending her only so he could get to Andrew. I strongly suspect Epstein’s “friendship” with Mette-Marit was the same – he was trying to get to the prince or other high-ranking men inside her circles. What could he do with her other than drop her name or use her in some way? There’s plenty of ick factor to any association with Epstein but probably she was just an unwitting access point for him and hopefully it didn’t work.
yeah, due respect to the voice of compassion, @Grace, there is a limit — I mean, it is compassionate to the actual victims of her son’s grotesque violations of other women’s bodies and basic dignity, to pretend that this pampered (albeit unwell) woman, who raised a drug-addled rapist, is just being kind? I mean. That is delulu, to me.
Honestly, I can’t get into the minute details of these emails, because these people are all absolute trash, like the vast majority of the super-rich on this planet. The older I get and the more things like this come out that are even worse than the already terrible things I imagined about rich people, the less patience I have for this whole system.
You know what needs to shift? Ending monarchies for a start. These people do absolutely nothing but continue to benefit from the vile exploitation and abuse of the rest of humanity. It really and truly doesn’t matter if whatshisname and whomever are the current crown prince and princess or they abdicate in favor of their daughter. She may be as a fine a person as you can be while living with the brain damage that comes from being ultra-rich, but what is actually the point of them at all?