The 29-year-old son of Norway’s crown princess told an Oslo court Tuesday that he did not rape four women, saying he believed the encounters were consensual.

Marius Borg Hoiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son from a relationship before her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, faces charges of raping four women between 2018 and 2024, along with other offenses.

Clad in green trousers and a sweater, Hoiby remained expressionless as prosecutors read 38 charges that could bring up to 16 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty to the rapes but admitted to lesser charges, including assaults, narcotics violations, traffic offenses and restraining order breaches.

Hoiby was arrested Sunday on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife, and violating a restraining order, and was remanded for four weeks.

The prosecution outlined alleged rapes and assaults, including an incident during a 2023 holiday in Norway's Lofoten Islands. Authorities claim the women were often incapacitated by alcohol, and that Hoiby filmed or photographed some attacks.

"If Marius says he is not guilty ... it's simply because he perceived all of the acts as perfectly normal and consensual sexual relations," his defense argued.

One alleged victim testified tearfully about a 2018 after-party at Hoiby’s parents’ Skaugum estate, describing footage found on his phone showing him raping her while she slept.

Hoiby “must not be treated more severely nor more leniently because of his family connections,” prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo said.

Defense lawyer Ellen Holager Andenaes criticized the “negative media tsunami” surrounding the case. “The judgment must be handed down in this courtroom, nowhere else,” she said. “It is really impossible for me to describe the impact that this has had on Marius's life and mental health during the past 18 months.”

Hoiby was first arrested in August 2024 for assaulting a girlfriend. Police later investigated allegations from several ex-girlfriends and uncovered additional suspected offenses, including rapes while victims were asleep or passed out. Police added six more counts in January, including a drug charge from 2020 involving 3.5 kilos of marijuana.

Ex-girlfriend Nora Haukland, a model and influencer, accused Hoiby of repeated physical abuse, including punching, kicking and grabbing her by the throat.

The scandal has dented the monarchy’s reputation, though King Harald and Queen Sonja remain broadly popular. A TV2 poll Tuesday found more than 70 percent of Norwegians believe recent scandals have weakened the monarchy.

The crown prince couple is not attending the trial. Mette-Maritt, 52, is also facing scrutiny over her past relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and ongoing health issues, including a potentially life-threatening lung condition.

The verdict is expected several weeks after the trial ends March 19.