Norwegian police arrested Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, on new charges. The arrest took place before his appearance in court in Oslo on charges related to rape and other crimes. According to a police statement, the arrest was made on suspicion of assaulting and threatening a person with a knife, as well as violating a court order prohibiting contact with certain individuals. Oslo Police Chief Prosecutor Andreas Kruusveski confirmed that these charges are the result of ongoing investigations, highlighting the seriousness of the actions attributed to the accused. Høiby, 29, faces a total of 38 charges, including four cases of rape. Despite the charges being brought against him since last August, Høiby continued to live a near-normal life, traveling with friends to several destinations, including Hemsedal, Copenhagen, and Italy. Reports also indicate that Høiby spent time in treatment and rehabilitation centers in London since his arrest, attempting to deal with the consequences of the cases against him, while investigations and trials continue amid widespread media and public attention. Source: 'Daily Mail'. Despite the severity of these accusations, the accused has denied most of them, while admitting to committing some violations he described as minor. Marius Borg Høiby is the son of Princess Mette-Marit from a previous marriage, whereas the Princess and Crown Prince Haakon have two other children: Princess Ingrid and her younger brother Prince Sverre Magnus, who is 19 years old. Høiby grew up in the Norwegian royal family and under the spotlight, enjoying the same wealth and privileges as his siblings, although his father, Morten Borg, had served time in prison for drug and violence-related cases. Norwegian police requested to keep Høiby in custody for four weeks, justifying this with fears that he might commit other crimes. His trial, scheduled to continue until March 19 next year, is expected to receive wide media coverage both in Norway and abroad due to the sensitivity of the case and its connection to the royal family. In this context, a ban was imposed on publishing images of the accused inside or outside the courtroom for seven weeks. Former girlfriends also joined the list of plaintiffs, and Høiby was subject to strict orders preventing him from contacting them in any form. If convicted by Oslo District Court, Høiby could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years. This case has set a precedent in the history of the Norwegian royal family, as Høiby became the first person directly related to it to face criminal charges of this magnitude, leading to his removal from the official list of royal family members. These accusations have clearly affected the family's image in the public eye, as polls showed a decline in support for them from 81% in 2017 to 62% last September.
