Pallade Veneta - Son of Norway princess suspected of three rapes

Marius Borg Hoiby, who was born as a result of a relationship before Crown Princess Mette-Marit's marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, has been under investigation since his arrest on August 4 last year on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend.

The arrest led to a slew of allegations against the 28-year-old that have shaken the royal family.

Police attorney Andreas Kruszweski told reporters the 10-month investigation had been completed.

Hoiby was suspected of "one count of rape with sexual intercourse" and "two counts of rape without sexual intercourse", Kruszweski said.

Hoiby's lawyer Ellen Holager Andenaes told news agency NTB her client rejected the three rape allegations.

Hoiby has previously admitted to assault and vandalism in the August 2024 incident.

In a public statement 10 days after his arrest, he said he had acted "under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument", having suffered from "mental troubles" and struggling "for a long time with substance abuse".

- Behind bars -

Police said Hoiby was also suspected of four counts of sexually offensive behaviour, one count of abuse in a close relationship, two counts of bodily harm, one count of vandalism, one count of issuing threats, five violations of restraining orders, one count of insulting a police officer, and five traffic offences.

"I cannot elaborate on the number of victims in the case other than to confirm that we are talking about a double-digit number," Kruszweski said.

Hoiby, a tall strapping blond who cultivates a "bad boy" look with slicked back hair, earrings, rings and tattoos, has been in the eye of a media storm since his arrest.

When the rape allegations emerged in November, he spent a week behind bars in custody -- unprecedented for a member of Norway's royal family.

After his release, he reportedly went to rehab in London.

Hoiby is the child of a brief romance between his mother and Morten Borg -- who has also been convicted of abuse and drug-related crimes -- at a time when the future princess was part of Norway's house music scene, known for its abundance of hash and ecstasy.

- Bad company -

Hoiby was propelled into the spotlight at the age of four when his mother married Norway's crown prince, with whom she went on to have two more children.

He was raised by the royal couple alongside his step-siblings Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, aged 21 and 19.

Unlike them, however, he has no official public role.

Despite Mette-Marit's attempts to shield him from the public eye, he has made headlines over the years.

"He has been put in a virtually impossible position: one foot in, one foot out. He is not technically part of the royal household but he grew up in it," said Sigrid Hvidsten, royals commentator at the newspaper Dagbladet.

"He has lived in a grey zone, a kind of gilded cage," she told AFP in December 2024.

A cage that has not stopped him from keeping bad company in recent years.

According to media reports, he has hung out with gang members, Hells Angels bikers and members of Oslo's Albanian mafia. In 2023, police contacted him to have a cautionary talk after he was seen moving in the same circles as "notorious criminals".

Once the assault scandal hit the headlines in August, it emerged that Hoiby had already been arrested in 2017 for using cocaine at a music festival.

He has lived a comfortable lifestyle provided for by his mother and stepfather, and has shown little interest in academic studies or work.

Several of his ex-girlfriends were among the plaintiffs in cases against him.

His excesses have struck a blow to the monarchy, at least temporarily, though it remains popular, in particular King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon.

A poll published in December by Norwegian broadcaster NRK showed 45 percent of people questioned said their opinion of the royal household had deteriorated over the past year.

D.Vanacore--PV