Norway’s NRK gave royal palace interview questions a week before Epstein discussion

Norwegian public broadcaster NRK sent its questions to the royal palace a full week before its interview with Crown Princess Mette-Marit about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the broadcaster confirmed during a media debate on Thursday.

The revelation emerged during NRK’s Debatten program, where media critics questioned whether the advance notice undermined the interview’s journalistic integrity. NRK’s news director, Marius Tetlie, defended the decision, stating it was made “to provide information” and “to obtain better answers.”

Questions shared before final agreement
Tetlie acknowledged that the interview was not fully confirmed when the questions were sent. NRK’s specialist editor for news, Sofie Gran Aspunvik, later clarified that the broadcaster “stood completely free to ask the questions we wanted within the given timeframe,” but shared key questions in advance “to make the most of the interview time.”

The 20-minute interview, published last Friday, was shortened due to the crown princess’s health. Diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, her condition has since deteriorated, potentially requiring a lung transplant.

Criticism over lost “toolbox”
Media critic Anki Gerhardsen, a former columnist for Aftenposten, called the practice “quite shocking,” comparing it to handing over “the toolbox” needed to hold powerful figures accountable. “If the goal is confrontation, you don’t surrender the questions,” she argued, suggesting the crown princess’s prepared responses weakened the interview’s impact.

Gerhardsen also questioned whether NRK would extend the same courtesy to other high-profile figures, such as politician Trond Giske. Tetlie rejected claims of special treatment for the royal family.

Unanswered questions dominate
An analysis by Dagbladet found that the crown princess and Crown Prince Haakon, who participated jointly, declined to answer roughly one-third of the 32 questions posed by NRK’s Petter Oulie-Hauge. The interview followed weeks of media pressure after Dagbladet and other outlets criticized her initial silence on the Epstein connections, first revealed in January.