As we discussed, it’s not just the British royals who are up to their ears in the newly-released Epstein Files. Norway’s royal family is also dealing with several crises all at once. Crown Princess Mette-Marit was regularly emailing Jeffrey Epstein for years… years after he was released from jail after serving time for his depraved crimes. Mette-Marit’s son’s trial also began this week in Oslo, and he’s facing some really serious charges. Throughout it all, Mette Marit has tried to adjust her story and deflect blame. There are widespread concerns that Mette Marit cannot serve as queen of Norway at this point. Norway’s royal house can’t even keep up with all of the questions being raised on social media, and they had to restrict comments on Instagram and elsewhere. Well, at least the New York Times is carrying water for Norway’s royals:

It’s been a rough week for Norway’s royal family. Newly released files showed how chummy Crown Princess Mette-Marit was with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Then her son was arrested for assault, just before he went on trial for rape in a separate case.

Royal historians say this is the worst crisis the royal family has suffered since the dynasty was established in 1905. But polls, interviews and votes in Parliament show most Norwegians still support the monarchy. Many have voiced anger and disappointment at the crown princess’s relationship with Mr. Epstein, but they aren’t ready to kick her out of the palace.

“This is definitely the most controversial — and if one thinks that it keeps evolving — the most scandalous thing that the Norwegian royal family has been through since the establishment of the royal dynasty.” said Ole-Jorgen Schulsrud-Hansen, a historian who wrote a book about the royal family and who once gave tours of the palace.

Though some of Mette-Marit’s connections with Mr. Epstein were already known, the new information showed a deeper relationship, after his 2008 conviction, than she had previously acknowledged. They joked in emails about Mr. Epstein’s relentless pursuit of young women.
King Harald, her father-in-law, declined to answer questions from journalists about the matter, as he was opening a new wing of a hospital in Oslo on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Norway’s Parliament took a routine vote, held every four years, to uphold the constitutional monarchy. It passed with an overwhelming majority. One lawmaker proposed an investigation into winding down the monarchy. Only 17 out of 169 lawmakers voted for that. Marius Dalin, the lawmaker who introduced the proposal, said he “loves” the king and queen but believes it is inevitable that Norway would eventually outgrow them.

“When the people don’t feel that they present their identity and common values,” he said of the royals, “then it’s time.”

Guri Melby, a lawmaker who voted for Mr. Dalin’s proposal, said, “If an elected politician was involved in a scandal in the way that Mette-Marit is involved in the Epstein files, I think that elected politician would have difficulties getting re-elected.”

But in a poll conducted this week by Respons Analyse for the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, 54 percent of Norwegians said the country should remain a monarchy, with 33 percent supporting the switch to a republic.

[From The NY Times]

Who knew that Norwegians have emotional-support polls as well? While I’ll buy that there’s still some general warmth towards the royals in Norway, I definitely think that stories like this are basically high-level damage control and an attempt to manipulate perceptions internationally. What this story doesn’t even mention is that several of Mette-Marit’s charitable patronages have now severed ties with her because of her emails to Epstein (and her previous misrepresentation of their relationship). Not to mention the credible accusations against her son. Additionally, there’s a newly-released and never-before-seen photo of Mette-Marit with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2012. Yiikes.

At the Opening Session of the Clinton Global Initiative in 2012, Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit met Ghislaine Maxwell.

The photograph, taken by Pontus Höök for NTB, has never before been published.

To NTB, The Royal House says the Crown Princess has no recollection of… pic.twitter.com/Inb5UG3NpP

— Joakim 🌹🇳🇴🇪🇺 (@joakial_) February 6, 2026

Three of Crown Princess Mette-Marit's Patronages (Førde Traditional and World Music Festival, Nynorsk Cultural Centre & The Hamsun Days) have together sent a joint open letter to the palace.

They have asked "the Royal House to fully address the issue of the Crown Princess's…

— Gert's Royals (@Gertsroyals) February 6, 2026

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.