An Oslo court on Monday sentenced Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, to four years in prison after convicting him of two counts of rape, repeated domestic abuse and several other offenses in a case that has shaken Norway's royal family.
Hoiby, 29, who is Mette-Marit's son from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, faced 40 charges ranging from rape and domestic violence to traffic violations, carrying a maximum possible sentence of 16 years.
The court convicted him of two rape charges, including one that occurred at the official residence of the crown prince and crown princess in 2018. He was acquitted of two other rape counts but was also found guilty of repeated domestic abuse against a former girlfriend, issuing threats and multiple traffic offenses.
Prosecutors had sought a seven-year prison sentence, while Hoiby's defense argued for an 18-month term for charges he had admitted, including transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana, physical assaults and threats.
Hoiby, who has been in custody since 1 February, was absent from the courtroom for medical reasons but participated in the proceedings through a video link.
During the trial, he described a life marked by alcohol, drug use and a search for recognition while growing up in the public eye.
“I'm mostly known as my mother's son, not anything else. So I've had an extreme need for recognition my whole life,” he told the court.
The prosecution argued that the rape cases involved consensual sexual encounters that were later followed by sexual acts while the women were asleep or unconscious and therefore unable to give consent.
The scandal first emerged in August 2024 when police arrested Hoiby over an alleged assault on his then-girlfriend. During the investigation, authorities reportedly discovered videos on his electronic devices that led to additional rape charges after identifying women who were allegedly unaware of the incidents.
One former partner, influencer Nora Haukland, also accused Hoiby of subjecting her to physical and psychological abuse, which prosecutors described as a “reign of terror.”
The case has embarrassed Norway's monarchy and contributed to a decline in public support for the royal family, although it remains broadly popular.
The verdict also comes as Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, continues to battle an incurable lung disease and has recently been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant.