Marius Borg Høiby

Marius Borg Høiby (born 13 January 1997) is the son of Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, born before she married Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway. While Høiby was once presented as a member of the royal house on their website, he remains a commoner and "shall not have a public role" per a statement by the family. In his youth, he received widespread media attention as the first step-child in the history of the Norwegian royal family and was widely nicknamed "Little Marius" after a character from the Alexander Kielland novel Poison.

Høiby's turbulent private life and criminal record have attracted significant media attention and public scorn, earning him unfavourable comparisons to Johan Borgen's "Lillelord" character. He is facing three charges of rape as of November 2024, and was briefly remanded at Hamar Prison.

The Høiby affair, having occurred concurrently with scandals involving Durek Verrett, have been cited as reasons for a "decimation of the Norwegian royal family's reputation," leading to increased discussion about the future of the monarchy and a doubling of membership in the Norwegian republican association.

Early life

Høiby was born on 13 January 1997 at Aker University Hospital in Oslo, to Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, then a waitress, and Morten Borg, a convicted felon. His grandfather Sven O. Høiby was also a convicted felon and unemployed alcoholic, who married a stripper in his second marriage. His parents were never in a relationship, and only had a brief encounter after they were introduced by John Ognby, Høiby's former cohabitant and fiancé, who was also a convicted felon. For two years Mette-Marit was in a relationship with Ognby, a man on welfare who was 15 years her senior, until shortly before Marius' birth. They shared a social housing apartment provided by welfare services in a working-class neighborhood in Lillestrøm, until a breakup occurred after Ognby chased Mette-Marit down the street with a knife around the time she became pregnant with Marius.

At the time of Høiby's birth, his father Morten Borg was in prison for drug-related violent crimes, and the two did not meet until Høiby moved to Oslo with his mother. Høiby had resided in a lower working class environment outside Oslo where several of her acquaintances and family members, including her child's father, had served time in prison. After her son was born, she relocated to her childhood home of Kristiansand, where Marius Høiby was raised by his mother and her then-partner, a local disc jockey, until the couple split in early 1999. Later that same year, she met Crown Prince Haakon and in 2000 they moved to Oslo to live with him.

Entry into the Norwegian royal family

The fact that Mette-Marit was a single mother and the circumstances surrounding this, including the background of the child's father as a convicted felon, were considered controversial. TV 2 later wrote that "Merely by existing, Marius Borg Høiby was seen by many as a scandal for the royal family." Jo Moen Bredeveien of ''Dagsavisen'' wrote that "in a documentary on TV2, the king's sister ( Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen) comes across as almost uncomfortably prophetic. She expressed concern about how things would turn out for Marius, now that the Crown Princess was pregnant with Ingrid Alexandra, the nation's future queen: 'I feel terribly sorry for her son. When they have a child, poor Marius will be nothing. He is six years old, but he will understand that there is a difference. That will cause problems for them. I hope they have thought it through,' the princess said."

When his mother entered the public spotlight as the girlfriend of Haakon, Marius Borg Høiby was nicknamed "Little Marius" by the media, and the name stuck. The name was also used by Queen Sonja, who said that "Little Marius is just the world's cutest little bright guy, who is so charming and wonderful, so it's definitely not a problem for me, at least." The nickname comes from a character in the 1883 novel ''Poison'', who – like Høiby – is illegitimate and a perceived outsider.

Sven O. Høiby frequently spoke publicly about him during his childhood, expressing that he believed his grandson should be given the title of Prince to avoid feeling second-class and becoming a target of bullying.

Education and young adulthood

He graduated from high school in 2016. The following year he began to study business at Santa Monica College in California, but dropped out after a few months without completing a degree. In late 2017, Høiby moved back to Norway briefly, before briefly working as an intern for designer Philipp Plein, after which he was hired as style editor for the UK-based fashion magazine ''Tempus,'' until its closure in December 2018. Høiby moved back to Norway in 2019, residing in Tønsberg with then-partner Juliane Snekkestad. After the couple split in 2022, Høiby moved to one of the houses at Skaugum, the official residence of the Crown Prince and Princess.

Personal life

Since 2016, Høiby has been in a series of high-profile relationships. Between 2016 and 2017, he was in a relationship with wealthy heir Linn Helena Nilsen. From 2018 to 2022, Høiby was in a relationship with model and actress Juliane Snekkestad, whom he had met while working in Los Angeles. He also briefly dated influencer Nora Haukland after his relationship with Snekkestad ended, before the couple split in 2023.

Despite the absence of any formal roles or titles, Høiby has attended several royal events as a guest, including official state visits, dinners and Constitution Day celebrations.

Legal issues

Høiby was convicted of drug possession in 2017.

Høiby affair

He has been charged with domestic violence. As of early January 2025, the police are nearing the end of their investigations. Authorities said that they did not know when the case possibly could go to the court system.

Four women and one man have been victimized, according to the charges (as of 19 November 2024):
*The "woman in Frogner" r the woman that was living in the Frogner neighbourhood of Oslo Two instances of violence against her were reported, according to the charges. She is a former girlfriend of Høiby, and his last one, according to the media in September 2024. On 13 September 2024, police arrested Høiby. He was released the next day. The arrest was in regard to allegedly contacting her by phone, in violation of a restraining order. Høiby has not admitted culpability o the justice systemhttps://www.seher.no/kongelig/raserte-boligen-pa-skaugum/82008273. Seher.no. Retrieved 2024-11-15 Earlier in 2024, Høiby was arrested for violence against her, according to the charges. A blood test was taken (while arrested); the test results were consistent with those of someone that had recently been using "cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis".https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/8qOn3Q/det-kongelig-hoff-varslet-mette-marit-om-mulig-paagripelse. VG.no. Retrieved 2024-11-01 The following day, recordings via telephone were released by the media, in which Høiby can be heard making multiple references to slapping/striking her previously. On 23 August he was charged with making threats against her.
*Violence against a named woman at a date that has not been made public. She was once a girlfriend of Høiby.
*Violence against another named woman, within about a four-year period. The charges say that he pulled her hair, pushed her, and hit her. She was once a girlfriend of Høiby.
*Sexual assault (or rape)https://www.nettavisen.no/kjendis/politiet-hoiby-sitter-i-avhor-na/s/5-95-2138280. Retrieved 2024-11-19 of a woman that was unable to resist. There was no intercourse, according to the police. The court closed its doors to journalists, when the court system decided that Høiby can be detained by police until 27 November. The alleged victim has not pressed charges. Earlier, Høiby was arrested on 18 November. Earlier (8 November), investigation started after police found video clips on Høiby's mobile phone.https://www.nettavisen.no/kjendis/hoiby-skal-ha-voldtatt-kvinne-etter-flere-politiavhor/s/5-95-2148509. Nettavisen.no. Retrieved 2024-11-25 The incident allegedly happened on Palm Sunday, in an apartment where the alleged victim was registered as living; she does not know the other alleged victims. He did not know her previously, according to the media. He has not admitted culpability. The woman is in her 20s.
*Another charge of rape is in regard to a woman in her 20s. There was no intercourse, according to the police.https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/93xddd/hoeiby-forsvarer-kan-ha-gode-grunner-for-aa-slette-informasjon. VG.no. Retrieved 2024-11-25 She was allegedly raped on 26 September, at Skaugum.

*In addition, one person has allegedly received a death threat from Høiby, according to the police. Høiby is charged with having messaged him (through Instagram) and written that the person is a "fucking dead man" (''fuckings død mann'').

The authorities notified the Royal Court that Høiby would possibly be arrested. The Royal Court notified the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. She in turn notified her son, and a half hour later she drove him from Skaugum to an adjacent property, to the appointment with the police. The media claims (as of November 2024) that Høiby and his family has received preferential treatment from police. Mette-Marit has been accused of warning her son about his impending arrest and of evidence tampering and witness tampering.

Earlier on 25 September, the chief editor of '' Se og Hør'' said that Høiby should be forced to move from the royal residence at Skaugum. The media have raised the question of whether the Crown Prince or Crown Princess finance Høiby's drug habit. The media claimed that police interrogation of Høiby revealed that the crown prince "together with the crown princess" took care of his bills. Høiby gets 20,000 kroner each month. The media have also raised questions over the financing of the rest of his lifestyle. Royal commentator Satu Jaatinen said Høiby "has no position, but he has abused all the things he could abuse," and that "the entire royal family's popularity has collapsed" in 2024.

Other reactions to the alleged crimes of 2024, include - after the first arrest - royal commentator Johan T. Lindwall describing Høiby's behavior as a "catastrophe" for the monarchy. Royal commentator Sebastian Mattsson said Marius Høiby is viewed as the black sheep among the extended family of the royals due to his many scandals and controversies, but highlighting the 2024 charges as a new low. Newspaper editor Trygve Hegnar described Høiby as "the psycho who brings down the royal family."

Ten days after his arrest in August, Høiby released a statement admitting to his crimes and apologizing to the victim, adding that the incidents had taken place in a "haze of alcohol and cocaine" and stating that he has "several mental disorders."

On 19 November, it was announced that Høiby was also charged with one count of "abuse in close relationships," violating a restraining order, and driving without a valid driver's license.

On 18 November 2024, Høiby was arrested on suspicion of rape. Since 20 November 2024, he has been held in remand at Hamar Prison, and he is held incommunicado.https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/1MxR6B/marius-borg-hoeiby-varetektsfengsles-i-inntil-en-uke. VG.no. Retrieved 2024-11-20 The justice system has authorised that the police can keep him no longer than until 27 November 2024; at that time his one-week detention expired; the prosecutor had asked for two weeks. He was promptly released on that date.

On 25 November, it became known that Høiby is under investigating for raping another woman, after having been released following his initial arrest and questioning by the police.

Høiby invited criminal friends to the royal property Skaugum, including members of the Hells Angels criminal gang, to what he called "Skaugum festivals", where drugs were consumed. At these festivals Mette-Marit personally received Marius' criminal friends. Høiby is also charged with raping women at Skaugum. Jan Bøhler wrote that "a member of the royal family has for years vacationed and partied with central figures in drug-related crime. Individuals known for involvement in serious money laundering cases and violent gangs, including the Hells Angels, have also participated in the festivities. These enemies of society have been allowed to roam freely on the Crown Prince couple's properties during events referred to as 'Skaugum festivals'."

As of December 2024, Høiby had started in a program of drug rehabilitation.https://www.nettavisen.no/kjendis/hoibys-forsvarer-dro-rett-pa-rehabilitering/s/5-95-2177571. Nettavisen.no. Retrieved 2024-12-09

Norwegian media reported that Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway had been informed of the accusations against Høiby by the mother of Høiby's then-girlfriend, but that the girlfriend's family felt Haakon had failed to respond.

Other controversies

Høiby was pictured alongside individuals with criminal records and a controversial alt-right blogger with a history of defending rape, sparking significant public and media backlash.

As an adult, he made headlines in 2016 after posting several luxury items for sale on a Norwegian online trade site using the royal residence as address, which led to criticism of Høiby misusing his proximity to the royal family for monetary gain, something his maternal grandfather had also been criticized for previously. In 2018, Høiby was referred to as a "Prince of Norway" in '' Tempus Magazine,'' where he briefly worked as an editor, which again led to criticism from several Norwegian media outlets, until the references were removed from print and the magazine's website. During 2023 and 2024, several outlets reported Høiby posting videos and images to social media showing him speeding and recklessly driving, engaging in heavy partying and other offences, with ''Dagbladet'' describing his circuit of friends being one of "wealthy heirs, reality stars and influencers, mixed in with seasoned criminals and drug offenders". This led to many experts criticizing Høiby as a security risk given his proximity to the royal family and residence near them. Several outlets also criticized Høiby's repeated misuse of a false princely title, leading some outlets to refer to him as "the pseudo prince".

In 2024, the media said that he had abused a diplomatic passport, a type of passport meant to be used by individuals on official missions representing Norway, even though he is not a diplomat and does not hold any public role. The media reported that he had "abused" the passport multiple times, including to evade the police abroad, even while under the influence of drugs.

References

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1997 births
Prisoners and detainees of Norway
Norwegian prisoners and detainees
21st-century Norwegian criminals
Norwegian male criminals
People from Lillestrøm
Living people