Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit breaks silence in NRK interview about Epstein links

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has given an interview to public broadcaster NRK at the royal residence Skaugum, the Royal Court confirmed Thursday, following weeks of pressure over her reported ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The interview comes after more than 100 days of public silence since reports emerged on January 30 that the crown princess had extensive contact with Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. NRK conducted the interview at Skaugum, though the broadcaster has not yet disclosed who carried it out or when it will air.

The move follows mounting criticism from media and public figures over the delay. Kjetil B. Alstadheim, political editor of Aftenposten, stated earlier this week that “we would never accept waiting this long from anyone else in a key position in Norwegian society.” He added that a politician or business leader would have faced immediate demands for answers.

Public pressure intensified after the Norwegian Library Association, of which Mette-Marit was royal patron, severed ties with her earlier this month. Crisis communication expert Jenny Nygaard, head of strategic messaging firm Wergeland and Apenes, told Dagbladet that the crown princess needed to address the issue “yesterday,” warning that prolonged silence risks allowing speculation to dominate the narrative.

“Without her input, the story is driven by others, and the information vacuum fills with conjecture,” Nygaard said. She suggested a high-profile interview—comparable to the crown princess’s 2001 press conference where she publicly addressed her controversial past—or a one-on-one with a major broadcaster, though she cautioned that an overly staged format could backfire.

The 2001 press conference, held three days before her wedding to Crown Prince Haakon, saw Mette-Marit preemptively disclose details of her “wild” youth, including drug use, to over 100 journalists. At the time, Dagbladet reported internal divisions at the palace over the strategy, with some advisers questioning whether the candor would harm the monarchy. Retrospectively, however, the paper called it “a smart move,” crediting her honesty with winning public trust.

“She showed humanity by acknowledging the rumors that had spread across Norway,” Dagbladet wrote in 2003, framing her transparency as a turning point in her public image.