Norway’s crown prince and princess walk with relationship therapist after Epstein interview

Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were photographed taking a walk with a relationship therapist and the prince’s former governess on Friday, hours after giving a televised interview addressing the princess’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Dagbladet reports.

The couple, with Mette-Marit using a nasal oxygen tube, walked near their Skaugum residence in Asker alongside neighbour and therapist Lise Bjarkli and Berit Tversland, the prince’s longtime governess. Bjarkli, who offers couples therapy through her company Min Livskraft AS, has not disclosed whether her relationship with the royals is professional, personal, or both. The Royal Palace has not responded to questions about whether the couple is undergoing therapy.

During Friday’s interview with public broadcaster NRK—where Mette-Marit addressed her past contact with Epstein—Haakon spoke openly about their marriage. “We’ve been together for over 25 years, and we’ve built a foundation to stand on together,” he said. “When things get tough, that’s when it’s most important to have that foundation.” He described Mette-Marit as “caring, wise, and incredibly strong,” adding, “I’d always want her on my team if something difficult happens.”

Tversland, who served as governess to Haakon and his sister Princess Märtha Louise in their youth, later worked as their secretary and as a cabinet secretary at the palace for 12 years. Now retired, she remains close to the crown prince. In 2023, he called her “impressive” in his authorised biography, stating, “I was lucky to have her. We still have a close relationship.”

The walk follows a week of legal proceedings involving the couple’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, and their high-profile NRK interview. Mette-Marit has previously been seen in public with Tversland, including in Ålesund ahead of Märtha Louise’s 2024 wedding, where the crown princess wore a face mask.