Afleveringen
-
Marius Borg Høiby’s appeal means Norway’s most consequential royal criminal case will continue well into next year. We break down the appeal, the prosecution’s demand for a tougher sentence, Queen Sonja’s update on Mette-Marit’s recovery, preparations for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s silver wedding anniversary, and new analysis suggesting public confidence in Norway’s monarchy has fundamentally changed.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Who is Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, why did she give up her royal duties, and what happened when the King's daughter married American self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett at a fjord-side wedding sold to Hello magazine and Netflix?
In this episode we explain who Durek Verrett is, what he claims about spirits, healing medallions and cancer, why the Norwegian press called him a con man, and why King Harald was publicly furious about the wedding. We look at what the Netflix documentary Rebel Royals reveals about the royal family's reaction, how the Märtha Louise scandal combined with the Marius trial to drive Norwegian monarchist support to historic lows, and what the story of a princess and a shaman actually tells us about the impossible pressures on modern royal families trying to survive in the media age.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
The verdict is in, the appeal is filed, and Norway is left asking the harder questions. We step back from the daily news cycle to examine what the Marius Borg Høiby case has actually revealed about the Norwegian royal family, why royal expert Tove Taalesen says the biggest consequence is not the prison sentence but the loss of the royal family's private life, what PR experts are now advising the palace to do next, the uncomfortable question of what was known at Skaugum in 2018 when one of the rapes took place, why Danish royal commentator Fie West says you cannot bring in a substitute when you are royal because the family is also the company, and why one Norwegian commentator wrote that the appeal turned what could have been a full stop into a comma.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Norway’s royal family faces one of the most dramatic weeks in its modern history. Crown Princess Mette-Marit undergoes a successful double lung transplant after years of battling pulmonary fibrosis, while her eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, begins a four-year prison sentence following his criminal conviction. We examine the extraordinary timing of the transplant, the surge in organ donor registrations across Norway, Marius’s emotional courtroom comments about his mother’s illness, Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s return from Australia, and a proposed constitutional change that could give the future queen a historic new role. Plus, a look at Prince Sverre Magnus and the next generation of the Norwegian monarchy.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Marius Borg Høiby was sentenced to four years in prison on Monday for two counts of rape and domestic violence — and within five hours he had announced he was appealing. What does the appeal mean for the victims, for the case timeline, and for a Norwegian monarchy already managing a Crown Princess on a lung transplant waiting list? We also cover the story Norwegian media is calling the real scandal inside the verdict: why Aftenposten says Høiby was lucky, how a Supreme Court ruling on sentencing guidelines changed at exactly the right moment for him, why only one of the six women came to court on verdict day, what the Swiss and German press made of Norwegian prison conditions, and how five media organisations ended up facing fines for breaking court rules during the most covered trial in Norwegian history.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
At eight thirty on Monday morning in Courtroom 250 of the Oslo District Court, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad read out a unanimous verdict that will define the Norwegian monarchy for years to come. Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was convicted of two counts of rape, domestic violence against former girlfriend Nora Haukland, and twenty-eight other offences, and sentenced to four years in prison.
We cover every detail of the verdict, what the judge said about the rape that took place in the basement of the royal residence at Skaugum, how the victims and their lawyers responded, what the palace said, which was a single sentence , and what happens next as both the defence and prosecution consider their appeals. We also explain why this verdict lands at the worst possible moment for a royal family already managing a Crown Princess on a lung transplant waiting list, an eighty-nine year old king who told reporters he is taking it one day at a time, and a monarchy whose public support has fallen to its lowest point in modern history.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
On Monday morning, a Norwegian court will deliver its verdict in the case of Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Norway’s future king. As Norway prepares for a decision on forty criminal charges, a dramatic appeals court ruling has ensured that Marius will remain in prison through the verdict. At the same time, Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on the lung transplant waiting list with a life-threatening condition, creating an unprecedented crisis for Norway’s Royal Family. We examine the latest legal developments, the court’s decision to keep Marius detained, what happens next when the verdict is announced, the growing concern surrounding Mette-Marit’s health, and why this may be the most consequential week for the Norwegian monarchy in modern his
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Who is Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and how did a working-class single mother from Kristiansand become Norway's future queen? In this episode we tell the full story, from her dissolute past and her extraordinary pre-wedding television apology in 2001, through two decades of genuine royal service, to the Jeffrey Epstein correspondence revealed in the 2026 DOJ files and the question of why she kept emailing a convicted sex offender. We also explain her pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis, why she is now on a lung transplant waiting list, what her doctor said about how dangerous her condition has become, and whether Norwegians can separate Mette-Marit the mother of an accused rapist from Mette-Marit the future Queen of Norway.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Who is Marius Borg Høiby, and why is the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit facing trial on forty criminal charges including four counts of rape?
In this episode we explain how Marius was raised inside the Norwegian royal family without ever officially belonging to it, why the Norwegian press nicknamed him Little Marius after an illegitimate character in an 1883 novel, and what the charges against him — rape, domestic violence, death threats and drug trafficking — mean for the future of the Norwegian monarchy. With the verdict arriving on June 15, we look at what happens to the royal family if he is found guilty, what a not guilty verdict would mean, and why this case has driven Norwegian support for the monarchy to its lowest level in decades.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has made a striking return to royal duty while using oxygen support in public for the first time, underscoring the seriousness of her health challenges. We also look at the full Crown Prince family appearing together amid mounting scrutiny, and Nora Haukland’s new interview about her relationship with Marius Borg Høiby as the case moves closer to a verdict
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Norway’s Supreme Court has issued a significant ruling that could matter a great deal in the Marius Borg Høiby case, particularly on the sexual assault charges involving women prosecutors say were asleep or otherwise unable to resist. The decision does not affect the question of guilt or innocence, but it could influence sentencing if Høiby is convicted on any of those counts. We break down what the ruling means, why both the defense and prosecution believe it helps their side, and how the legal framework around so-called “sleep rape” cases in Norway may now be shifting.
Plus: one of Norway’s best-known actors says the case should force a broader reckoning about men, pornography and cultural attitudes toward women — and the courtroom artist whose sketches became the defining visual record of the trial reflects on documenting seven relentless weeks inside court.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Sunday prison visit: Haakon, Mette-Marit, and Sverre Magnus photographed arriving at Oslo Prison to see Marius. Appeals court rules Marius remains in detention until June verdict, rejects release request. Court cites "strong probability" of reoffending, points to Valentine's Day restraining order breach while in custody (flowers and letter to Frogner woman through third party). Defense argued media attention reduced risk, court rejected: coverage "has not prevented accused from being suspected of new criminal acts." Mette-Marit surprise return to public duties Tuesday welcoming Belgian royals, first engagement in two months despite health deterioration. NRK "Debatten" reveals Palace received interview questions week in advance. Media critic Anki Gerhardsen: "managed communications exercise" not journalistic scrutiny. Attorney Gunhild Vehusheia (Aftenposten): interview placed too much focus on Mette-Marit's regret, too little on Epstein's victims. Repeated phrases "I didn't know," "I don't remember" are "exactly the kinds of explanations from people on edges of abuse scandals who chose not to look too closely." Commentator Carl-Erik Grimstad: Mette-Marit in "pitch-black tunnel," Palace chose "over-managed communications strategy" when honesty needed. Palace clarifies email account no longer exists (leaked 2012). Friday Supreme Court ruling lowers "sleep rape" sentencing benchmark. Defense: "clearly" affects case, seeks further reductions. Prosecution: already accounted for in seven-year-seven-month recommendation. Sentencing debate: "quantity discount on very serious crimes like rape." Media backlash: Defense attorney Andenæs calls coverage "heartbreakingly awful," "crushing."
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Marius Borg Høiby will remain in custody after losing his appeal, while a major Supreme Court ruling on so-called sleep rape cases has opened a new legal front ahead of the expected June verdict. There is also growing backlash over how the Norwegian media covered the trial.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Crown Princess Mette-Marit returned to public duties during the Belgian state visit, but the fallout from her Epstein interview continues. New criticism of the Palace’s media strategy, questions about how the NRK interview was handled, and a wave of opinion pieces suggest the story is far from settled.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
An appeals court has ruled that Marius Borg Høiby will remain in pre-trial detention, rejecting his request for release ahead of a verdict expected in early June. The court cited a “strong probability” of reoffending, pointing in part to a restraining order breach during the trial, when Høiby arranged to send flowers and a letter to the Frogner woman.His defense argued that intense media scrutiny had already limited his circumstances, but the court dismissed that claim, concluding detention remains necessary. The result is clear: Høiby stays in custody as the case moves toward a decision.
At the same time, Crown Princess Mette-Marit made an unexpected appearance at the Royal Palace during the Belgian state visit, despite earlier indications she would not attend due to her health. It marked her first official engagement in nearly two months and comes as she continues to manage pulmonary fibrosis.The brief appearance, alongside Crown Prince Haakon and the Norwegian royal family, arrives at a moment of heightened attention — where legal uncertainty and personal challenges are unfolding side by side.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were seen arriving at Oslo Prison alongside Prince Sverre Magnus, just days after the trial of Marius Borg Høiby concluded. While prison visits are routine, the timing and visibility of this one have drawn significant attention, reading as a clear show of support as the family awaits a verdict expected in early June.
We break down where the case stands now, including the charges, the prosecution’s sentencing request, and the growing debate over Norway’s legal framework, with critics questioning what one commentator called a “quantity discount” for serious crimes.
At the same time, scrutiny has returned to Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s past contact with Jeffrey Epstein. A newly discussed detail from the Palace — that the email account in question was compromised and no longer exists — adds another layer to an already sensitive issue.
With the trial complete but the outcome still unknown, the royal family finds itself navigating both a legal pause and a very active public conversation.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Trial paused Tuesday (judge ill), resumed Wednesday. Prosecution closing arguments: Henriksbø says Marius "not monster... but must be held accountable." Four "sleep rape" allegations detailed. Skaugum woman videos: "appears to be sleeping, absence of sound." Lofoten woman's pulse watch data: woke from deep sleep twice, "just after defendant filmed her genital area." Nachspiel woman: sleeping tablets, "sensed flashes of light." Oslo hotel: "woke from hard blow to genital area." Pattern: "parties, alcohol, voluntary sex. But then women become tired, and he continues anyway." Haukland testimony credible, chokehold eighty times. Frogner woman: "roared like a gorilla," 172 calls after relationship ended. Prosecution seeks 7 years 7 months, convictions on 39 of 40 charges, $104k compensation. Defense closing: "no evidence suggests Marius can be convicted of rapes," seeks 1 year 6 months, acquittal on all rapes. Prosecution response: "absence of rape videos does not imply absence of rape." Trial concludes, Høiby declines final statement. Verdict expected June. Mette-Marit NRK interview: "I was manipulated and deceived." Palm Beach incident: "made me feel so unsafe I called Haakon." Cannot recall what she found when Googling Epstein 2011. "I should have warned more people." Key questions remain unanswered.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken publicly for the first time about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, saying she was “manipulated and deceived” and taking responsibility for not investigating him more thoroughly.
In a highly personal interview with NRK, conducted alongside Crown Prince Haakon, she acknowledged spending time at Epstein’s Palm Beach property, described a moment that left her feeling unsafe, and admitted, “I should have warned more people.”
But while the interview was candid and emotional, it leaves key questions unanswered — including what she discovered when she first searched Epstein’s name, and why contact continued after the incident in Palm Beach.
We break down what she said, what she didn’t say, and whether this carefully controlled interview helps restore trust in the Norwegian monarchy — or raises new concerns at a critical moment for the institution.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
The trial of Marius Borg Høiby has officially concluded after more than six weeks in court, with the case now in the hands of judges and a verdict expected in early June.
On the final day, the defense pushed for acquittal on the most serious charges, including four alleged rapes and abuse in a close relationship, arguing there is not enough evidence to meet the legal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
We break down the defense’s key arguments, from challenges to digital evidence and witness credibility to claims that the case ultimately comes down to “word against word.”
Meanwhile, prosecutors stood firm, maintaining there is sufficient evidence to convict on all counts and urging the court to look at what they describe as a broader pattern of behavior across multiple incidents.
With a potential sentence ranging from around 18 months to more than seven years, the outcome now hinges on how the judges interpret weeks of testimony, evidence, and competing narratives.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway -
The trial of Marius Borg Høiby is entering its final phase, with prosecutors now calling for a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison.
The recommendation follows a request for conviction on 39 of 40 charges, including multiple rape allegations, domestic abuse, violence, threats, and drug offenses.
We break down the prosecution’s case, including claims that the women’s accounts are supported by messages, images, and video, and arguments that Høiby’s repeated statements that he cannot remember key events should carry little weight.
The court is now focused on the most serious allegations, whether sexual activity occurred when the women were unable to resist, and whether Høiby understood that at the time.
We also look at the emotional testimony around the impact on the victims, the role of media attention, and why prosecutors say that should not reduce any sentence.
AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.
You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.
Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family
Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown
King William - The Crown in the Future
Crown and Controversy - King Charles
Crown and Controversy - Norway - Laat meer zien
