Norway’s royal family has been grappling with scandal on multiple fronts this week, with charities moving to sever or review ties with the Crown Princess over her past contacts with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and others questioning her suitability as a future queen.
The first controversy concerns Crown Prince Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son Marius Borg Hojbi. He denied four charges of rape in an Oslo court earlier this week, breaking down in tears during his first day of testimony.
Højby was born before his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, so he is outside the line of succession to the throne.
In a rare statement ahead of his rape trial, which begins on Tuesday, Haakon reaffirmed Højbi’s status as a private citizen and said his stepson “has autonomy because he is not a member of the Norwegian royal family.”
But his efforts to protect the royal family’s reputation were overshadowed by the eruption of a second controversy, this time involving his wife and Whibey’s mother, the country’s future queen.
New Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice show extensive correspondence between Mette-Marit and the late sex offender, years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sexual acts from minors, which the princess has since expressed regret.
On Friday, Norway’s royal family said Mette-Marit “strongly denies abuse and criminal behavior by Mr. Epstein” and regrets “not understanding the kind of person he is earlier.”
“Some of the messages that Mr. Epstein and I have had are not representative of the person I want to be, and I also apologize to the Royal Family, especially the King and Queen, for the situation I found myself in,” Mettemarit said in a statement.
Experts say the incident sparked a public debate in Norway about whether Mette-Marit should become queen.
“Confidence in the Crown Princess has plummeted,” said Tove Talesen, royal correspondent for news agency Netavisen. “Although a majority still supports the system, that support is weakening and uncertainty is increasing.”
The controversy raises uncomfortable questions about Mette-Marit’s place within the family, especially given the advanced age of Harald V, who at 88 is Europe’s oldest monarch. Harald’s health has deteriorated in recent years, requiring Haakon to act as regent from time to time.
Talesen said that while Princess Mette-Marit was not yet facing an immediate end to her royal duties, one option would be to step back from royal duties for health reasons and leave the crown prince to govern independently at some point.
The palace said Mette-Marit was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic progressive lung disease with a poor prognosis, in 2018 and is likely to require a lung transplant.
Other royal commentators agree. Ketil Alstadheim, political editor of Norway’s leading newspaper Aftenposten, said many Norwegians were disappointed by the revelations and had lost confidence in the princess as a result.
“They wonder what her judgment will be in the future,” Alstadheim told CNN.
Ole Jørgen Schulsrud Hansen, a royal commentator on Norwegian broadcaster TV2, added: “We will have to wait until the dust settles to find out how much of an impact this issue has really had on the monarchy.”
Mette-Marit became Crown Princess in 2001, marrying Haakon in Oslo Cathedral in front of 800 guests and millions of television viewers. At the time, a young Mette-Marit’s candor about what she described as her “wild life” was especially popular among the younger generation.
“It mobilized a younger generation who felt that this was a modern monarchy, and they could identify with it,” Alstadheim said. “She managed to build trust and gain respect.”
Amid the recent turmoil, that trust and respect seem to have all but eroded.
Oslo-based Sex and Society, Norway’s largest sexual health center, announced this week that it was cutting ties with Mette-Marit, saying the latest revelations were inconsistent with its ideals.
“What was important to the foundation was its concern for its patients, all abuse survivors, and all those who stand up to prevent sexual abuse,” the center said in a statement.
Three Norwegian cultural organizations, all under the patronage of the Crown Princess, also wrote to the royal family about Mettemarit’s past relationship with Epstein, saying their contacts appeared to be “serious and worrying”.
“It is important for further cooperation that the royal family provides an appropriate explanation on this issue,” Norway’s Hamsun Center, Vorde Festival and Ninorisk Cultural Center said in a letter seen by CNN.
A controversial email exchange that showed Epstein’s relationship with the crown prince was deeper than previously known prompted a rare political intervention, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gare Stoer saying on Monday that Mette-Marit had shown poor judgment.
“She says her judgment was poor, and I agree with her,” Store told reporters.
Although reflecting Mettemarit’s own words, his comments speak to the significant societal pressures facing the family, royal experts say. Political editor Al Stadheim said: “Never before in modern Norwegian history has a prime minister publicly criticized a member of the royal family in such a way.”
In an email sent to Epstein in 2012 by HKH Kronprinsessen (which translates to “His Highness the Crown Prince” in Norwegian), Mette-Marit calls the late sex offender a “lover” and “kind-hearted.”
In another email exchange from 2012, she called Epstein “very attractive” and added: “Is it inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women with surfboards as her 15-year-old son’s wallpaper?”
In another conversation in 2012, Epstein told Mette-Marit that he was “looking for a wife,” adding: “Paris is interesting, but I prefer Scandinavians (sic).” In response, Mette-Marit said Paris was “suitable for an affair” and “scandal is suitable for a wife.”
Mette-Marit acknowledged that she had shown “poor judgment” in her relationship with Mr. Epstein, but said Mr. Epstein was “solely responsible for his actions.”
“I must take responsibility for not investigating Mr. Epstein’s background more thoroughly and for not recognizing the kind of person he was sooner. I deeply regret this, and it is a responsibility I must bear,” he told CNN in a statement.
As pressure mounts on Mette-Marit, former Norwegian Prime Minister Torbjorn Jagland is being investigated for “allegations of aggravated corruption” related to his relationship with Epstein, Norwegian law enforcement officials said in a statement on Thursday.
Norway is investigating “whether gifts, travel or loans were received in connection with his position,” according to the Norwegian National Prosecutor’s Office and the police agency Okokrim.
According to Justice Department files, Mr. Jagland exchanged friendly emails with Mr. Epstein and planned vacations on his island. Jagland’s lawyer told CNN that the former leader will fully contribute to the investigation, adding: “Based on what has emerged so far, we remain confident in the outcome.”
The latest documents also include other European figures, including members of the royal family, but their names in the file do not indicate any wrongdoing.
In one email sent to Epstein in 2010, a person whose name has been redacted included a photo of what appeared to be Princess Sofia of Sweden (then known as Sofia Kristina Hellqvist) on a trip to Africa.
The email said: “Here’s a picture of our Sofia – remember? – soon to be Princess Sofia…the entire Swedish press is looking for her…while she’s in Africa…!” The circumstances surrounding the email exchange are unclear.
The name “Sofia Hellqvist” also appears alongside Epstein on a 2012 guest list (emailed to the late sex offender), apparently for a performance of Les Misérables.
The Swedish Royal Court told CNN on Friday that Princess Sofia met with Epstein several times about 20 years ago, before she became a member of the royal family.
However, they denied that the princess attended such an event in 2012.
“We are aware that the princess’s name (misspelled) was reportedly found in documents from the 2012 premiere.”
“However, the princess does not know why her name appeared on this list,” they said, adding that she was in Sweden at the time and had not seen Epstein “for several years.”
Meanwhile, in 2012, an email sent to Epstein listed Denmark’s then-crown prince, current King Frederick X, as a “confirmed guest” for the banquet. It is unclear whether Epstein or the crown prince attended the event. CNN has reached out to Denmark’s royal family for comment.
As reported by CNN, Britain’s former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has previously expressed regret about her relationship with Epstein, are also included in the file multiple times.
Back in Norway, Mr Talesen, whose rape trial is expected to last several weeks, believes the swirling royal disputes are “reinforcing each other”.
As pressure mounts on Mette-Marit, daily court coverage will keep the royal family at the forefront of public attention, she says.
But reflecting British influence, Epstein’s emails pose the most serious challenge to the family name in decades. She says the royal family cannot afford to ignore this challenge.
