Crown Prince Haakon of Norway appeared in calm spirits today as he attended the Paris Olympics, days after his stepson’s arrest.
The heir to the Norwegian throne, 51, took to the Vaires-sur-Marne to support his country’s team in the women’s kayak 500-metre semifinals, appearing without Crown Princess Mette-Merit.
Haakon, who is married to Crown Princess Mette-Merit, seemed to enjoy the sporting event, despite his stepson, Marius Borg Høiby’s, arrest on Sunday evening, following a serious incident.
Marius Borg Høiby, 27, has spent more than 30 hours in custody after an incident in an apartment in Frogner, Oslo – where a woman in her 20s called the police.
Despite the ongoing legal procedures, Haakon, who donned a pair of sunglasses and cap, continued business as usual as he supported Norway’s kayakers, Kristine Strand Amundsen, Hedda Oritsland, Anna Margrete Sletsjoee.
It comes after he cheered on Norway in the Beach Volleyball semi-finals last night.
Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon continued business as usual as he watched the Olympics in Paris today, just days after his stepson’s arrest
According to Se og Hør, Mette-Marit’s eldest son, whose father is Morten Borgan and step-father is heir to the Norwegian throne Crown Prince Haakon, allegedly attacked the woman ‘psychologically and physically’.
The Norwegian publication reported Marius faces preliminary charges of ‘bodily violation’ and ‘damage’, after the apartment appeared to have been ‘destroyed’ when police arrived.
In Norway, preliminary charges are issued at the point of arrest.
The woman was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with a concussion before being released in the early hours of Monday morning.
The publication reported Borg Høiby was put in solitary confinement and a blood test was taken to find out if he was under the influence of drugs.
Marius Borg Høiby is the eldest child of Mette-Marit, who was a single mother when she met Crown Prince Haakon (who is the son of King Harald and Queen Sonja) through mutual friends in 1999.
Police told Se og Hør: ‘A person was arrested and charged with assault and later released from custody.’
The apartment where the incident took place appeared to have been destroyed, according to Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet.
The 51-year-old appeared in calm spirits as he watched the women’s kayak 500-meter semifinals
It comes after he cheered on Norway in the Beach Volleyball semi-finals last night
Marius Borg Høiby, 27, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway from a previous relationship, has been charged with assault after a woman was left in hospital with concussion
The 27-year-old is now said to be at the royal Skaugum estate with his 50-year-old mother.
Mette-Marit was supposed to be attending the men’s 1500-metre final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, however Crown Prince Haakon appeared in the stands alone.
Speaking to Norwegian reporters from the tournament, Haakon said: ‘It is a serious matter when the police are involved in the way they are, but at the same time it is not right for me to go into the details of the case.’
The Norwegian Palace has confirmed to local media that the Crown Princess has decided to ‘temporarily postpone’ her trip.
‘The Crown Princess has temporarily postponed her departure and hopes to travel down later’, the Palace’s communications chief wrote in a text message to Se og Hør.
Øyvind Bratlien, who has expertise in high-profile criminal cases, has been hired by Marius Borg Høiby as his defense lawyer.
In a statement to Se og Hør, Bratlien said: ‘The charge concerns assault, which under the law is the least severe form of violence. Neither my client nor I have been informed of the full details of the case, and he has not yet given a statement, on my advice.
The police’s security service (PST), which is responsible for the security of the royal family, confirmed to Nettavisen that they are aware of the incident.
Marius Borg Høiby, 27, (left) has spent more than 30 hours in custody after an incident in an apartment in Frogner, Oslo – where a woman in her 20’s called the police (pictured with Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Crown Prince Haakon and the Crown Princess in 2022)
Mette-Marit was supposed to be attending the men’s 1500-metre final at the Paris Olympics last night, however Crown Prince Haakon (centre) appeared in the stands alone
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway’s son Marius Borg Høiby was arrested after a serious incident on Sunday night
Norway’s Princess Ingrid Alexandra (front C) poses for a family photo with (front L and R) Norway’s King Harald V and Norway’s Queen Sonja and (back LtoR) Marit Tjessem, Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, Norway’s Prince Sverre Magnus and Marius Borg Hoiby on the occasion of a gala dinner for her 18th birthday in Oslo in 2022
Marius previously dated London-based former Playboy model Juliane Snekkstad in 2019
When he turned 20 the royal court announced he was stepping away from public life and his profile was removed from the family’s official website
‘We can confirm that PST was informed shortly after the incident. But we do not want to comment on the case further and we refer the Oslo police district for statements’, said Martin Bernsen, senior adviser in PST, to the newspaper.
According to Lovdata, the Norwegian foundation which publishes judicial information, bodily harm can be punished ‘with a fine or imprisonment of up to one year, anyone who commits violence against another person or physically violates him in any other way is punished’.
If the charge is extended to grievous bodily harm the penalty can be up to six years in prison.
Growing up, he made public appearances with his mother, stepfather and half sister Ingrid Alexandra (who is the future queen of Norway) and half brother Prince Sverre Magnus on occasions such as national day.
However, when he turned 20 the royal court announced he was stepping away from public life and his profile was removed from the family’s official website.
‘Høiby will not conduct any official activities on the Royal Family’s behalf,’ a statement said, ‘on the basis of his wish to live outside the public eye’.
His mother Crown Princess Mette-Marit also published an open letter on the court website, saying: ‘Marius is, and will continue to be, a vital member of our family.’
‘He has always had a public role that has been very difficult to define.’
‘Unlike his siblings, he has no official duties. He won’t have a public role and is not a public person.’
‘Marius became a symbol for the unusual choice we made when we married.’
Marius was previously linked to heiress Linn Helena Nilsen, but the couple split in July 2017.
Femail has contacted the Norwegian royal palace for comment.
Crown Prince Haakon appeared unfazed as he attended an equestrian event in Paris on Tuesday, after his stepson had been arrested and charged
Despite controversy at home, the Crown Prince smiled as he was pictured watching events with Prince Albert of Monaco
The incident threatens to overshadow what should be a happy time for the Norwegian royal family as Princess Martha Louise, Crown Prince Haakon’s older sister, is set to marry her husband, ‘Shaman’ Durek Verrett, on August 31 at the Union Hotel in Geirangerfjord.
The couple’s relationship has not been without controversy itself, as the Norwegian royal, who had been the heir to the throne following stepped down as a working member of the royal family following backlash over her partner’s controversial views.
In November 2022, Martha Louise announced she would no longer be a working royal after the American shamanic healer’s previous assertions came to light.
Among his deeply controversial and pseudoscientific opinions, published in a book called ‘Spirit Hacking’, were claims that children ‘can get cancer from being unhappy’.
Durek has also claimed he once came back from the dead, recovering from a month-long coma, by letting his soul ‘burn’ and he has also spoken of having to undergo a kidney transplant from his sister as a child.
The incident comes just weeks before Crown Prince Haakon’s sister, Princess Martha Louise, is set to marry American ‘shaman’ Durek Verrett
Official royal family photograph celebrating Crown Prince Haakon (Up 2nd L) 45th birthday with his family, while he poses beside Princess Martha Louise (Up L), Crown Princess Mette-Marit (Up C), Princess Ingrid Alexandra (2nd R), Maud Angelica Behn (R), (Bottom L-R) Prince Sverre Magnus, Queen Sonja and King Harald V, in July 2018
It is unclear why he needed the kidney or how he became wheelchair bound, as he has described. The illness which sent him into a coma is also undisclosed.
Princess Martha, whose first husband Ari Behn took his own life in December 2019, also claims to hold spiritual powers, and has previously recalled having what she says were ‘psychic premonitions’ when she was a child.
Speaking to the BBC last year, she said: ‘When I was little I would see things in you. If you were sad or if you were happy… if you had a pain in your shoulder I would get a pain in my shoulder.
‘And I understood that that’s a talent and, you know, I could help other people. And that’s when the whole ball started rolling.’
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Princess Martha Louise and Ari Behn married in 2002 and have three children together Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora and Emma Tallulah
She also revealed she had decided to step down as a working royal so she could earn her own money; something she has since pursued through a podcast and touring the nation giving spiritual talks and holding workshops.
She added that, in Norway, spiritual beliefs like the ones she holds are ‘taboo’.
After giving up her position in the royal family, the Princess revealed she has had to deal with ‘lots of scrutiny’ – particularly when she takes on new roles.
‘Everything you do that’s a first, that goes out of the box that you’re put in,’ she said, adding that press scrutiny has ‘continued’.
The approach to the wedding has hardly been smooth sailing thus far as, following outrage in Norway over Verrett’s views, the shamanic healer has been embroiled in a furious row with his estranged mother over claims she made in an interview with a Norwegian tabloid.
Last month, the couple confirmed they sent a cease-and-desist letter to Veruschka Urquhart, with Durek explaining on Instagram how they believe their decision is ‘the only remaining option for change’.
He said his mother has ‘repeatedly slandered our characters through false statements showing a significant lack of care and love towards Märtha, myself, and our respective families’.
In interviews with celebrity magazine Se og Hør, Veruschka has labelled her son ‘dangerous’, alleging that he had ‘brainwashed’ the princess and that their family was not as wealthy as Durek has tried to make out.
The publication claimed on Thursday to be sharing the ‘shock letter, word for word’, in which Märtha has reportedly threatened her future mother-in-law with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, if she does not retract what she has said.
The letter from ‘Shaman Durek and Princess Martha Louise’ allegedly reads: ‘We are writing to order you to refrain from defaming, disparaging and making false and provocative statements about Shaman Durek.
‘If you do not fully and loyally comply with this order, and choose not to deny your statements, Shaman Durek will use the civil remedies at his disposal against you to the extent possible under the law, including seeking damages of millions of dollars. To put it plainly, Shaman Durek will sue you.’
