The stepson of Norway’s future king allegedly raped a TV presenter while she was unconscious during a party in the basement of his royal residence, according to Scandinavian media reports.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 28, who has been accused of a number of separate sexual assaults and drug offences, has not commented on the latest allegation.
Authorities made the alleged victim, a 39-year-old presenter and model, aware of the 2018 incident after Oslo police discovered incriminating photos and videos on Hoiby’s laptop, the report published earlier this month in the Norwegian magazine Se og Hor states.
Marius Borg Hoiby is alleged to have committed the assault in 2018
HAKON MOSVOLD LARSEN/NTB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The alleged victim, who The Times is not naming, later said the reports were “true” in a statement on her Snapchat social media account that was seen by Norwegian press.
“I woke up to my phone falling to the floor, as it was being rung by the Norwegian and foreign press. I understand that there are many who want to comment on the case Se og Hor is reporting today, but I will not comment on it, other than that it is true,” she wrote.
“Mostly to protect myself and my family, and because I really feel for the person’s family. This has to end and we can’t have this any more, or more victims, so I really hope the person gets serious help.”
The assault is believed to have taken place at a “party among friends” in Skaugum, the official residence of Hoiby’s mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and his stepfather, Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, in 2018, when Hoiby was 21.
Skaugum, where the assault is alleged to have happened
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Crown Prince Haakon was reportedly sleeping upstairs during the incident which allegedly took place in the basement.
According to Se og Hor, police presented the alleged victim with evidence of the alleged assault found on three videos and more than ten photos on Hoiby’s laptop.
The report said she had no memory of the acts and instead remembered the evening as a pleasant social gathering with good friends.
The alleged assault follows a series of allegations against the Crown Prince’s stepson.
Hoiby was arrested in August 2024 and charged with assaulting a former girlfriend and threatening to set her clothes on fire, making him the first member of the family to be charged with a crime. He admitted assault and destroying the victim’s apartment under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.
In early November last year, when Hoiby was arrested for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, his lawyer told the state broadcaster that Hoiby denied the charges. As of late 2024, Oslo police district had charged Marius with two instances of rape and he is under investigation for a third. It is unclear if the new allegations are related to the case that is already under investigation.
The allegations against Hoiby appear to have affected Norwegians’ view of the monarchy.
Last November a survey for the online paper Nettavisen showed that only 27 per cent of Norwegians believed the princess was “very well suited” to become queen. Support for the royal family has slipped from 81 per cent in 2017 to 62 per cent in September, a record low.
Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett at their wedding in Geiranger, Norway, in August last year
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In a further controversy, Princess Martha Louise, who is fourth in line to the throne, married Durek Verrett, a self-styled American “shaman” last August, raising concerns in Norway over his past in the US, where he has a conviction for arson charges.
In September last year, Norway’s royal family was pared back, excluding Hoiby and Martha Louise, although both are still regarded as members of the wider “royal palace”.
In late December, the Norwegian royal family broke their silence about the abuse allegations against Hoiby and said that after a challenging year the family had sought professional help.
Unni Grondal, the Oslo police spokesman, told The Times: “Oslo police district has no comments on this.” Guri Varpe, the head of communications for the royal house of Norway, told Se og Hor that the palace was only aware of this case through the media and could not comment on an ongoing police case.
Oyvind Bratlien, Hoiby’s defence lawyer, told the newspaper Aftenposten that the police had filed charges against Hoiby “over a small matter”. The Times approached representatives for Hoiby and the alleged victim for comment.
Last month, Hoiby returned to Norway after attending a rehabilitation centre in the UK accompanied by a new girlfriend, according to media reports.