NEWS ANALYSIS: Norway’s royal family headed for the hills above Oslo during the holidays after one of their worst years in memory. There were noticeable absences of the most controversial family members, and King Harald V made a point of how difficult the past year has been in his annual New Year’s address to the nation

Shadows fell over the Royal Palace in Oslo this holiday season after a year of sickness and scandal within the royals’ extended family.  PHOTO: NewsinEnglish.no/Morten Møst

“For us as a family, it was a year that really tested us,” said King Harald at the outset of his nationally televised speech on New Year’s Eve. The year 2024 was so bad and full of scandal that it even inspired production of a rare satire on the royal family, published anonymously and in time for the Christmas shopping season.

The 87-year-old monarch opted against specifically referring to his own serious illness last spring, his daughter’s highly controversial second wedding that she and her American partner commercialized, and his step-grandson’s three arrests on charges of violence, vandalism, assault and even rape. King Harald made a point, though, of noting how “none of us is spared from pain and adversity,” royals included.

“Unfortunately, no one can avoid experiencing painful things in life,” he said, as he also seemed to seek understanding and sympathy for family conflicts and especially mental health issues. “I’m no psychologist, but this much I’ve experienced: It’s important to find ways of tackling what’s difficult, in order to live in the best possible way with ourselves and others.” He also encouraged all involved “to support one another in difficult times.”

King Harald admitted during his nationally televised anual speech on New Year’s Eve that “some are hit harder than others” by various troubles in life, but noted how his own family hasn’t been immune. PHOTO: NRK screengrab

He’s lately been having first-hand experience with such “difficult times,” and they’re not over yet. Marius Borg Høiby, the son of his daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship before she met and married Crown Prince Haakon, has himself linked charges of domestic violence against him to mental health problems, along long-time his use of drugs and alcohol. He’s currently awaiting results of a lengthy police investigation into all the charges against against him that’s now entering its sixth month. If indicted, he’ll face both compensation claims and prison time.

Questions have continued to rise over whether Høiby has received special treatment after he was first arrested in early August and then twice more as more charges were filed against him. He was released from custody the day after his arrests, when others facing similar charges have been held longer, and he hasn’t appeared publicly in court during custody hearings like most other defendants must. He spent one week in custody after his third arrest instead of the two weeks requested by prosecutors and usually granted.

Marius Borg Høiby (back row center behind Queen Sonja) was still considered part of the “official” royal family when King Harald celebrated 25 years as monarch in Trondheim in 2016. Now he no longer is, while the king’s sister Princess Astrid, his daughter Princess Märtha Louise (rear, second from right), her daughters and Prince Sverre Magnus (second from left) have also been deleted as part of “The Royal Family” as it was earlier defined. The three still holding royal titles (Astrid, Märtha Louise and Astrid) are now officially described as “Other royals.” Høiby and Märtha Louises’ daughters have been deleted from the former official definition of the “royal family” and Märtha Louise’s new husband Durek Verrett has not been given a title. PHOTO: Det kongelige hoff

The 27-year-old Høiby, who has no current source of income and has continued to live on the crown couple’s royal estate at Skaugum, has also been allowed to leave the country immediately following his releases from custody, flying off to both Italy and London. He’s reportedly gone back into treatment for his alcohol and drug problems, but just before Christmas he was under yet another investigation for allegedly violating a restraining order against one of the former women in his life once again.

Commentators in Norway have written at length about how Høiby has damaged what’s now called Kongehuset (“The Royal House of Norway,”) consisting of just King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (second in line to the throne) and Prince Sverre Magnus (third in line). “Høiby is a grown man without royal duties or formal roles,” wrote Eva Grinde in newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) recently. “It doesn’t make things easier that Marius Borg Høiby lives at home … and in spite of his 27 years hasn’t fulfilled any higher education or started any career. He doesn’t, as far as we know, have any other income either.” Grinde is far from the only Norwegian commentator worrying about what consequences Høiby have on the monarchy itself, while others insist Høiby must face all the legal consequences of his own behaviour.

Police also announced before the holiday period began that they won’t be calling in Crown Princess Mette-Marit for questioning, even though she reportedly tidied the house he’s been living in at Skaugum just before one of his arrests and before the house was searched by police. Petter Grødem, lawyer for at least one of Høiby’s alleged victims, told state broadcaster NRK that he was “surprised” police didn’t find it necessary to question her, too, noting that “we evaluated her as having information that we thought would be good to get into the case. When we ask police to call in witnesses, as a rule that happens. So I’m surprised by the decision.”

Grødem said he wouldn’t appeal it, though. Other legal experts have stated that mothers and other closest relatives normally aren’t required to testify against next of kin. The crown princess could also have claimed royal immunity from such a summons.

The crown couple, King Harald and Queen Sonja, meanwhile, opened up a little more early in the Christmas holidays when NRK ran an extended version of its annual TV program featuring highlights of the royals’ year. There was actually some news in it this time, when the both couples responded to questions about all the trouble they had to face in 2024.

The Royal Family showed up for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in December but often appeared noticeably tired. They’ve tried to carry out most other royal duties as well. They also addressed some of their more private problems in an annual NRK program about their activities throughout the year. PHOTO: ©Nobel Prize Outreach/Helene Mariussen

Questions included how King Harald’s and Queen Sonja’s daughter, Princess Märtha Louise, had once again violated an agreement she has with the king and her brother Crown Prince Haakon to stop exploiting her royal title for commercial gain. It’s been an issue for years but climaxed when she and her new husband used her title when introducing a “Pink Gin” allegedly made in connection with their wedding in August, and then sold exclusive rights to cover the wedding itself to Hello magazing and Netflix.

Norwegian and other media weren’t allowed photos of Märtha Louise as a bride-to-be for the second time (her first marriage to author Ari Behn ended in divorce, and he later committed suicide). That led to some comical scenes of the princess hiding behind tablecloths help up by employees of the hotel where the wedding was held. Netflix, meanwhile, turned its cameras on the press, which had objected to not being allowed access to the wedding ceremony either.

King Harald and his immediate family also reacted negatively to Märtha Louise’s deals with both the magazine and Netflix. They decreed that they wouldn’t let themselves be photographed anywhere the rest of the media was denied access. That was aimed at spoiling the magazine’s and Netflix’ “exclusive” photo rights.

King Harald, shown here during the opening of Parliament in September, has under pressure to clarify royal roles and has now made it clear that the royal family “is not up for sale.” PHOTO: Stortinget/Peter Mydske

“We don’t want the royal family to be up for sale,” King Harald told NRK in its program Året med kongefamilien (The year with the royal family). “So we allowed to be photographed when the rest of the press was present, but we found it correct that we would not be photographed when the press wasn’t there.” Asked whether his terms were met, he replied “we did manage it, in fact.”

The “royal” aspects of the wedding were otherwise dramatically toned down, with the king and crown prince wearing normal tuxedos excluding all royal decorations and other members of the immediate royal family wore bunader (traditional Norwegian costumes). Only Martha Louise wore a tiara.

King Harald also told NRK that he and Crown Prince Haakon continue “to have an ongoing dialogue” with Märtha Louise about her often controversial use of her title. “We’re trying to clarify for them (she and her new husband) what we think about this case,” King Harald said. “So we’ll see.”

Haakon and Mette-Marit, meanwhile, revealed in NRK holiday program that they have “received professional help” from state health authorities during what they themselves called the “demanding” situation of the past year. Mette-Marit went so far as to say it had been “beintøft (extremely tough), there’s nothing else to say than that. It has been really, really tough for us, and for everyone, I think.”

She added that her son “has a right to his private life, but what we can say is that we have for a long time received help, professional help, from the health authorities. I don’t think we would have managed to get through this situation without that help, together with the family, and still take care of our duties to the Norwegian people.”

Royal Palace staff, who have removed most photos of Marius Borg Høiby from the royals’ official website, did release this portrait of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette Marit at their home at Skaugum. Their domestic situation has, however, been far from tranquil this year. PHOTO: Det kongelige hoff/Dusan Reljin

Neither she nor the crown prince would go into detail about what kind of help they’ve received, but referred to it as “hard work that we take very seriously, and we have for a long time. It’s not like this just began in August (when her son was arrested for the first time), and I think it’s important people know that.” Newspaper Aftenposten has reported that an earlier girlfriend of Høiby’s had told them in January 2023 that he had “mishandled” her. They’ve refused further comment.

They did tell NRK, though, that they’ve also been keen for Høiby to get help. “We have worked for a long time to get him to a place where he’ll get more help, rehabilitation and treatment,” Crown Prince Haakon told NRK. His parents have provided great support, both he and Mette-Marit said, “and that’s been incredibly important this autumn, really touching, and means a lot. We are very grateful.”

The king and queen, interviewed separately but for the same program, agreed about the need to get professional help. “It’s clear that the situation we’re in,” said King Harald before stopping himself and then continuing, “… let me first say that in general, drugs and violence (‘and mental health issues,’ inserted Queen Sonja) are a problem in Norway and in the whole world. It’s a problem we have been working with and continue to work with. And of course it’s serious when someone we care for has gotten involved with all this, but now we have to let the legal system work as it shall, so we can’t say more on this case.”

In his New Year’s speech a week later, the king stressed the need for hope, not just within his own family, but in a troubled world. He spoke of how important hope is, not just in places like Ukraine or Gaza either, but also within families, and he thanked “all those who set out on a new day even when it’s the darkest of all.”

He stressed that “everyone single one of us must find ways to face adversity “and get through it.” He added that “no one manages on their own, we need one another, we need motivation to move on. We need to believe things will get better.” As he wished Norwegians a godt nytt år (Happy New Year) he was clearly hoping for a happier one himself.

NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund