Norwegian royal family breaks silence on rape scandal and admit getting ‘professional help’ after ‘challenging year’

Norway’s royal family have broken their silence after rape allegations emerged against the king’s future stepson, admitting they had sought “professional help” during the “challenging year”.

The Scandinavian royal family has been rocked by scandal in the past 12 months after Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, turned 27.

Police arrested Marius Borg Hoiby, 27, on August 4 after an overnight argument at an Oslo apartment, where he was later accused of assaulting his “ex-girlfriend” and threatening to set her clothes on fire.

When police arrived after the cocaine and alcohol attack, police found a knife lodged in one of the walls of the woman’s bedroom in the apartment.

Høiby admitted to being assaulted while “under the influence of alcohol and cocaine” in a statement in which he said he suffered from “mental problems” and “struggled with substance abuse for a long time.”

In an interview with NRK, the Norwegian public broadcaster, his mother, the Crown Princess, said on Christmas Day: “If I had to choose one word for this year, it would be ‘challenging.’

“It has been a demanding year and a demanding autumn for us,” Princess Mette-Marit added.

Following the incident, Høiby became the first ever member of the royal family to be charged with a crime and is no longer publicly listed as part of the Scandinavian household.

After his arrest, Borg Høiby, who was dubbed the “black sheep” of the Norwegian royal family, said in a statement to NRK that “something happened that should never have happened.”

“I caused bodily harm and destroyed property in an apartment while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine following an argument,” he added.

Borg Høiby said he suffered from “mental problems” and “struggled with substance abuse for a long time.” He said he would seek a new treatment and “take it very seriously.”

But he added that “the drug use and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened in the apartment.” “I want to take responsibility for what I did,” he said, vowing to be honest with police.

He added: “For me, the most important thing is to say sorry to my girlfriend. She deserved neither what happened that night nor the extreme pressure from both the Norwegian and foreign press afterwards.”

Mette-Marit’s eldest son has also apologized to his family for his actions, which “have affected you greatly.”

The crown prince’s stepson has since been arrested twice in November, with police investigating charges of assault against two other former partners.

Claims emerged that Borg Høiby had twice performed a sexual act without intercourse “with someone who… is unable to resist the act”, the Times reports.

After being arrested on preliminary charges, which he refuted, he was released a week later, with his lawyer claiming the 27-year-old was undergoing treatment, which was believed to take place in London.

Holby was also noticeably absent from the royal family’s Christmas card this year.

Instead, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja were accompanied by their son Crown Prince Haakon, his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their 20-year-old daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

But Prince Sverre Magnus, 18, was also absent from the festive photo, which showed the five beaming royals posing up a storm next to a Christmas tree.

Sverre Magnus now lives in Trondheim, rather than Oslo, with the royal family, and was not there when the photo was taken, palace communications chief Guri Varpe revealed to Dagbladet.

In an NRK program called The Year of the Royal Family 2024, Mette-Marit also said that Høiby had a right to privacy, while admitting that they had sought “professional help for a long time”.

“I don’t think we could have lived in a situation like this without that help, together as a family, and at the same time fulfill our obligations to the Norwegian people,” she said.

Although the family declined to comment on the Crown Princess’ son, the future king said he did not want to reveal more about the situation, adding that they “would really like him to be given the space to find his own way .’

Queen Sonja said the situation was “taking its toll”, while her husband, King Harald, who supported Mette-Marit, said it was difficult for a family member to go through such an experience, but that they now had to “visit the justice system make it work the way it works’. should’.

The claims have dealt a blow to the royal family, with support for the household falling from 81 percent in 2017 to 62 percent last September.

However, the allegations are not the only problems facing the family as the 87-year-old king became unwell in February after a trip to Malaysia.

Queen Sonja revealed she feared she would have to travel back alone at some point as the monarch’s health deteriorated.

After the incident, King Harold was fitted with a pacemaker as he reduced the number of public engagements he performs from 431 to 371.

Despite the use of crutches and a worryingly low heart rate, the monarch refuses to give up his crown.

It comes after Princess Martha Louise of Norway, Haakon’s sister, married her new husband ‘Shamaan’ Durek Verret in a controversial ceremony.

The spiritual newlyweds, who claim to have first met in ancient times, were married in August in a huge ceremony in Geiranger, Norway, attended by 350 guests.

The union was embroiled in controversy – in part because of Verrett’s views, including the belief that childhood cancer is caused by bad luck.