The disgraced stepson of Norway’s new monarch appeared to be shunned by his step-grandmother, Queen Sonja, at her husband’s funeral. King Harald V on Wednesday.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, who has no royal title or duties, is currently serving a four-year prison sentence under house arrest at his parents’ Skaugum estate while he appeals his conviction on two counts of rape.
He joined his stepfather, King Haakon VIII, and half-siblings, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandranow heir apparent, and Prince Sverre Magnus, as well as his mother, Queen Mette-Marit at Oslo Cathedral for the service.
However, as a sign of his fall from grace, Høiby was called the ‘black sheep’ of the United States Royal family sat in the row behind his loved ones, with his step-aunt Princess Martha Louise and her daughters.
He also seemed to be shunned by his step-grandmother, Queen Sonja. In a video shared online on
But when the moment came for her step-grandson to come forward for an affectionate greeting, the queen struck up a conversation with the Bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver, perhaps hoping not to hug the rapist.
It’s unclear if the two shared a more positive hello off-camera, as Høiby wasn’t seen throughout the entire clip.
Meanwhile, the bishop looked somewhat stern as she greeted Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship on the steps of the cathedral before the service.
The disgraced stepson of Norway’s new monarch appeared to be shunned by his step-grandmother, Queen Sonja, at the funeral of her husband, King Harald V, on Wednesday. Pictured: Marius Borg Høiby
The bishop looked somewhat stern as she greeted Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship on the steps of the cathedral before the service.
Høiby previously joined his relatives last week to carry Harald’s coffin from the Royal Palace to the palace chapel while he was temporarily released, sparking strong reactions from royal fans.
Haakon’s stepson was convicted of two counts of rape and jailed for four years after a six-week trial that uncovered allegations of violence, drug abuse and sexual misconduct.
An Oslo court also found him guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Nora Haukland, making threats and committing traffic offences, although he was acquitted of two other rape charges.
The 29-year-old was accused of sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.
The conviction marked a downfall for Hoiby, who grew up in the public eye after his mother married then-Crown Prince Haakon in 2001 when he was just four years old.
Although he has no royal title and no official duties, he has long been closely associated with the Norwegian royal family.
Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad handed down the sentence after hearing evidence related to 40 charges, including four alleged rapes, assaults, restraining order violations, drug offenses and driving violations. One charge related to a violation of the restraining order was quashed.
The court heard how Hoiby’s drug addiction spiraled in recent years, as investigators presented more than 800 messages and a series of home-made videos of sexual encounters as evidence during the trial.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, who has no royal title or duties, is currently serving a four-year prison sentence under house arrest at his parents’ Skaugum estate while he appeals his conviction on two counts of rape.
Høiby joined his stepfather, King Haakon VIII, and half-siblings Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, now heir apparent, and Prince Sverre Magnus, as well as his mother, Queen Mette-Marit, at Oslo Cathedral for the service
In a sign of his fall from grace, Høiby, dubbed the ‘black sheep’ of the royal family, sat in the row behind his loved ones, with his step-aunt Princess Martha Louise and her daughters.
He also seemed to be shunned by his step-grandmother, Queen Sonja. In a video shared online on
One alleged rape took place in the basement of the family home, the court was told.
Høiby, who denied the most serious charges including rape but admitted some lesser offences, was not physically present in court for the verdict and instead joined the proceedings via video link.
Haakon and Mette-Marit were photographed visiting Høiby in custody ahead of the sentencing in June, but they were not present at the high-profile trial that rocked the country.
Before the trial, Haakon made his longest statement about the charges against Høiby, noting “we care about him and he is an important member of our family,” while reiterating that his stepson is not a working royal and has no titles.
The monarch said: ‘Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this case. It impacts the individuals, their families and everyone who cares about them. We understand that this is a difficult time for many of you and we sympathize with us.
‘At the same time, it is reassuring to know that we live in a state where the rule of law prevails. I am confident that those responsible for overseeing the proceedings will ensure that the process is conducted as orderly, correctly and fairly as possible.
‘Marius Borg Høiby is not a member of the Royal House of Norway and is therefore autonomous. We care about him and he is an important member of our family. He is a citizen of Norway and as such has the same responsibilities as everyone else, as well as the same rights.”
On Thursday, royals from around the world, including Prince William and Princess Anne, attended the funeral of King Harald V.
The Prince of Wales represented his father King Charles at the service in Oslo Cathedral, while his aunt, the Princess Royalattended in a private and personal capacity as godmother of the new King Haakon.
Bishop of Oslo Sunniva Gylver greets Hoiby in front of Oslo Cathedral
Hoiby arrives for the funeral of Norwegian King Harald V at Oslo Cathedral
Norwegian Prince Sverre Magnus, King Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra led the funeral procession
The funeral procession carrying the coffin of Norwegian King Harald leaves the palace on its way to Oslo Cathedral on the day of his funeral
Queen Mette-Marit appeared solemnly at the funeral of her father-in-law
They were accompanied by other members of the royal family, including King Felipe SpainQueen Rania of Jordan and Princess Charlene of Monaco.
The coffin was brought from the palace to the cathedral in a procession of senior Norwegian monarchs, including King Haakon, foreign guests and representatives of the Norwegian and other parliaments.
Haakon walked behind the coffin, draped with the red Norwegian royal standard, next to his eldest child Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, his son Prince Sverre Magnus and his sister Princess Martha Louise.
Queen Mette-Marit, who missed her husband’s swearing-in ceremony due to “complications” from her recent lung transplant in June, and Harald’s widow, Queen Sonja, followed the coffin in a car.
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark and King Charles XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden also joined the parade.
Political leaders including Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were also present.
Thousands of people lined the streets of the Norwegian capital to say goodbye for the last time to Harald, who ruled for 35 years.
Dozens of churches, libraries, cultural centers and town halls also made large screens available for the public to watch the funeral, public broadcaster NRK reported.
At the start of the funeral procession, a 21-gun salute sounded over the capital.
From left to right, King Hakkon, Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Marius Borg Hoiby, Princess Martha Louise, Leah Behn and Emma Behn carry the coffin of King Harald V
The Norwegian royal family also has relatives in other European royal families. Harald and Haakon are related to both King Charles and Spain’s King Felipe, who are all descendants of Queen Victoria.
King Harald V died on August 28 at the age of 89 from complications of a rare blood disease known as hemolytic anemia.
His son immediately became King Haakon VIII and last week took an oath of allegiance to the Norwegian constitution in parliament.
Ahead of the funeral, Norwegians waited patiently to walk past Harald’s coffin as it lay in state in the chapel of Oslo’s royal palace, with the line stretching for seven hours over the weekend.
After the funeral, Harald’s coffin will be taken in a procession to the palace chapel of Akershus Castle, where the late king’s ancestors are buried.
After a private ceremony for the Norwegian royal family, accompanied by some foreign guests and high Norwegian officials, the crypt is entered.
Today, the role of the throne in Norway is largely symbolic and power lies with the elected government and parliament, but the Norwegian royal family retains a role in promoting the wealthy Scandinavian nation around the world.
The Norwegian monarchy traces its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century. When Norway regained its independence from Sweden in 1905, three-quarters of voters in a national plebiscite approved the restoration of the monarchy.
At the start of the funeral ceremony, a minute’s silence was held throughout Norway. Eulogies were delivered by the Speaker of the Norwegian Parliament and the Prime Minister, and there was a candle lighting ceremony with representatives of different faiths.
The government says it is not an official holiday, but schools and workplaces can individually choose to have students and staff tune in to today’s events. The government advised that ‘noisy events should be suspended while the funeral is underway’.
