Norway’s crown prince and princess visit Marius Borg Høiby in prison

Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her mother Marit Tjessem visited Marius Borg Høiby in Oslo Prison on Sunday afternoon, reports Dagbladet. Borg Høiby, 29, remains in pre-trial detention ahead of his upcoming sentencing.

Four vehicles arrived at the prison at 3:25 PM, with Crown Prince Haakon driving one of them. His mother-in-law, Marit Tjessem, 89, sat in the passenger seat, while Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, followed in a separate car with security personnel. The group left the facility at 4:40 PM.

Borg Høiby has been held in custody since early February. In late March, his request for release was denied. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to seven years and seven months in prison. His defense team has sought acquittal on 15 of the 40 counts, including four allegations of rape and domestic abuse against his ex-partner Nora Haukland. A verdict is expected in early June.

This was the first time Tjessem, Mette-Marit’s mother, joined the prison visits. She previously covered Borg Høiby’s legal fees in a failed 2023 lawsuit to block the book Hvite striper, sorte får (White Stripes, Black Sheep), written by journalists Torgeir Krokfjord and Øystein Monsen. The Oslo District Court ordered Borg Høiby to pay 460,000 NOK in costs to the publisher and 70,500 NOK to the Norwegian Publishers Association.

According to royal expert Caroline Vagle, Tjessem has played a pivotal role in Borg Høiby’s life, occasionally living at the royal estate Skaugum to care for him during his parents’ official travels. The Palace declined to comment on Sunday’s visit.

Earlier this week, Mette-Marit appeared publicly with an oxygen support device while hosting Paralympic athletes at the Royal Palace. However, she did not use the device during the prison visit.