Royal family's troubled tale: Norwegian princess's son accused of assault

A major scandal has erupted within the Norwegian royal family. The son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous marriage has been accused of allegedly physically assaulting his ex-partner. He could face up to a year in prison.

Prince Haakon is the heir to the Norwegian throne. In the mid-90s, the young aristocrat met a beautiful blonde at a music festival, and after a long separation, they reunited. During this time, Mette-Marit gave birth to a son. The future king, against his family's wishes, took responsibility for the boy, proposed to his beloved, and pledged his love during a Lutheran ceremony on 25 August 2001. Since then, they have formed an inseparable union, though many challenges have marked it.

Life has not spared the crown princess. A few years ago, doctors diagnosed her with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is practically a death sentence for the patient. Despite the lack of a cure, she supports herself with oxygen therapy, which has surprisingly good results. Unfortunately, besides attending to her health, the future queen of Norway fears for the fate of her adult son.

Marius Borg Høiby made the covers of many Scandinavian magazines when details of the scandal involving him were revealed. On Sunday, 4 August, Oslo police officers arrested the young man after receiving a report of a brutal incident that allegedly occurred the previous night.

His 20-year-old acquaintance called the officers. The son of Princess Mette-Marit spent over a day in detention after being charged with "assault" and "property damage." The girl received medical attention for a suspected concussion. Additionally, the media circulated photos from the scene showing a knife embedded in the wall and a damaged chandelier.

During the investigation, a recording of a phone conversation was secured, during which Høiby allegedly used offensive language towards the girl, threatening to burn her clothes and personal belongings. The 27-year-old's situation is further complicated by an internet post from his ex-partner, Juliane Snekkestad.

This has happened before. And this must be stopped now - she wrote on Instagram.

Meanwhile, the royal couple tried to divert media attention from the scandal by appearing last weekend in Paris, cheering on their compatriots during the final days of the Summer Olympics. They not only enthusiastically greeted the audience but also eagerly posed for photos, which appeared on the Norwegian royal family's social media profiles.

If the assault on the 20-year-old is proven, Prince Haakon's stepson faces up to a year in prison.