Future King of Norway’s stepson admits to assaulting his girlfriend

The future King of Norway’s stepson has admitted to assaulting his girlfriend ‘after an argument’ while ‘intoxicated with cocaine and alcohol’.

Marius Borg Høiby, 27, the tattooed stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, who is heir to the Norwegian throne, faces preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage, and could face up to a year in prison.

Opening up about the violent incident on August 4, after which he spent 30 hours in police custody, the motorcycle mechanic told state-controlled Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that he suffers with ‘several mental disorders’.

Speaking via his defence lawyer, Øyvind Bratlien, he said: ‘Last weekend something happened that should never have happened. I committed bodily harm and destroyed objects in an apartment in the intoxication of alcohol and cocaine after an argument.

‘I have several mental disorders which mean that throughout my upbringing and adult life, I have had, and still have, challenges. I have struggled with substance abuse for a long time, something I have been in treatment for in the past.’

Borg Høiby, the son of Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship, said he will now resume his treatment and ‘take it very seriously’. 

He also apologised to his girlfriend for his violent actions. Borg Høiby had only just announced his relationship with Rebecca Helberg Arntsen in July.

Photos thought to be taken of his lover’s apartment in Oslo after the argument reportedly showed a knife planted in the wall and a broken chandelier. 

‘The drug use and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened in the apartment at Frogner on the night of Sunday last weekend. I want to be responsible for what I have done, and will explain myself truthfully to the police’, the statement added.

‘For me, the most important thing is to say sorry to my girlfriend. She deserved neither what happened that night, nor the extreme pressure from both the Norwegian and foreign press afterwards.’

The motorcycle mechanic also apologised to his family for his actions that have ‘greatly affected you’.

Bratlien told NRK that the statement was in Borg Høiby’s own words as desired and that no further comment or answering of questions would be given. 

The woman’s legal aid lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen told VG: ‘It is good that he is speaking out and admitting a drug problem and she is happy about that.’

It comes after the future Queen of Norway has reportedly been in contact with the alleged victim.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 50, is said to have showed ‘care and humanity in the conversation’ with the woman, reported Se og Hør. The publication insists it has no information to suggest the royal has tried to influence the witness in the case.

Marius Borg Høiby, 27, the tattooed son of Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship, faces preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage, and could face up to a year in prison.

Police reportedly confirmed the alleged victim was in a ‘relationship’ with the motorcycle mechanic. He had only just announced his relationship with Rebecca Helberg Arntsen in July.

An ex girlfriend of Borg Høiby’s has since shared a cryptic message on her Snapchat in which she says: ‘My head is very chaotic, it’s up and down, and I’ve felt every possible emotion in the last few hours.’

Nora Haukland, 27, who dated Borg Høiby for just over a year before going their separate ways last summer, started her message on the social media app with: ‘Hello guys… What to say… It’s been a strange few hours. 

‘I don’t have much to say right now,’ added the influencer before speaking about her ‘very chaotic’ mind, according to Se og Hør.

MailOnline has contacted the Norwegian Royal Household for comment. 

Borg Høiby, stepson of the heir to the Norwegian throne, Crown Prince Haakon, was raised by his mother and stepfather with his half-siblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18, but unlike them he has no official public role.

Since news of his arrest last weekend, when he spent 30 hours in police custody, one of Borg Høiby’s ex-girlfriends, Juliane Snekkestad, claimed to have been ‘subjected to psychological and physical violence by the person in question’ while they were dating.

Sharing a post on her Instagram Stories, the model said: ‘I now no longer choose to remain silent… This has happened before. And this must be stopped now.’

Meanwhile, Norwegian magazine Se og Hør yesterday released images of what they claim is the apartment where the ‘violent episode took place’. Photos show a knife planted in a wall and a broken chandelier.

It comes after the publication alleged that the police have ‘among other things, seized a knife, which can be linked to Marius’ in the ‘partially razed’ apartment.

Two anonymous sources also told Se og Hor that police had audio recordings of the crown prince’s stepson calling the woman and ‘threatening to set fire to and burn the girl’s clothes and belongings’.

Borg Høiby is under suspicion for causing bodily harm and criminal damage, Oslo police said Wednesday. He denies the allegations, according to The Times. 

He was arrested on August 4 at Jansløkka school, outside Skaugum Castle, the residence of the Norwegian crown prince’s family. 

Following news of his arrest, his ex girlfriend Juliane, wrote on her social media account: ‘The last few days have been strange and painful. In the last week I have received a lot of phone calls; messages… regarding my ex’s order.

‘First, I would like to send warm thoughts to those affected by the case. Although the closest family and friends have known about this, I now no longer choose to remain silent. Because I actually can’t keep silent any longer.

‘And to answer the clues: Yes. I have previously been subjected to psychological and physical violence by the person in question. Where the psychological violence was most brutal for me. 

‘I’m not sharing this because I want pity… Or to put the focus on me… This has happened before. And this must be stopped now,’ her statement read, when translated from Norwegian to English.

The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) reported on Friday that ‘police allegedly seized a knife’ but said it was ‘not aware of who owned this knife’, in a translation of its report to English.

‘According to NRK’s ​​source, who has knowledge of the case, the knife was not used against the offended woman, but was placed in the wall,’ the state-controlled radio and television broadcasting company explained in its report.

Meanwhile, Bergen-based TV 2 alleged ‘a recording has been made of at least one telephone conversation in which Borg Høiby is said to have behaved aggressively towards the woman he is accused of assaulting’, according to its sources.

FEMAIL contacted the Norwegian Royal Household for comment, who said: ‘We refer to Marius Borg Høiby’s attorney in this matter.’

Øyvind Bratlien, the defence lawyer thought to be hired by Borg Høiby, has also been contacted by FEMAIL.

Mette Yvonne Larsen, the assistance lawyer for the unnamed woman involved in the case, told Se og Hør that the woman is on sick leave, having had medical supervision. She has not requested a restraining order or been admitted to hospital.

The latest alleged details came after Crown Princess Mette-Marit was pictured for the first time since her son was arrested.

Mette-Marit and her husband Haakon, who is Princess Anne’s godson, refused to let the royal shock deter them from their plans this weekend – with the royal couple photographed enjoying the Olympics on Saturday.

The royal mother was full of smiles as she cheered on athletes in the Men’s 5000m final at the Stade de France in Paris, on Saturday, after watching the gold medal handball match between Norway and France. 

Mette-Marit – who also joined her husband on Friday to watch the athletics – put on an enthusiastic display, waving to crowds whilst by the Prince’s side, despite the news of her son’s arrest.

Police said they were called to an Oslo address early Sunday after an overnight altercation in an apartment.

A man in his 20s was arrested over the incident and released from custody the following day, police said in a statement.

‘As it has been made known in several media that this (person) is Marius Borg Høiby, the police confirm that it is Høiby who is a suspect in the case.’

Police said he was suspected of causing ‘bodily harm and damage’. They did not identify the woman, saying only there was ‘relationship between the accused and the victim’.

Borg Høiby faces preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage, one stage short of formal charges.

Police said they had ‘no information that the victim suffered serious injuries’. The apartment where the incident took place appeared to have been destroyed, according to Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet.

Norwegian news agency NTB said that Mette-Marit had postponed a planned trip to attend the Olympic Games in Paris while her husband Haakon traveled to the French capital. The reason for the postponement was not given.

The Norwegian Palace confirmed to local media that the Crown Princess has decided to ‘temporarily postpone’ her trip.

In Paris, Haakon told Norwegian reporters that ‘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.’

In a statement to Se og Hør, Bratlien, who has expertise in high-profile criminal cases, 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. 

‘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, Borg Høiby 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.’

Borg Høiby – who lives with the royal couple and their two children – was previously linked to heiress Linn Helena Nilsen, but the couple split in July 2017.

Norway’s future queen made headlines in 2001 when she married Haakon, because she was a single mother who had lived a freewheeling life with a companion who had been convicted on drug charges.

Six years ago, she was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis. The disease, which has no known cure, causes breathing problems as scar tissue forms on the lungs, and has forced her to slow down her hectic schedule of royal duties.

Meanwhile, her husband is preparing to take over the throne amid concerns over the health of his father, King Harald V, 87, who announced in April that he would make a ‘permanent reduction’ to his public engagements.

But Borg Høiby’s scandal is not the only controversy that has threatened the popular Norwegian royal family in recent times.

Princess Martha Louise, 52, the daughter of King Harald, was forced to step down as a working royal in 2022 due to her self-professed shaman fiancé Durek Verrett’s controversial views, including that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness.

The couple are set to marry later this month – but their wedding has been overshadowed with dramas, including the pair being embroiled in a public row with Durek’s estranged 81-year-old mother.