Crown Princess Mette-Marit has agreed to speak publicly about her contacts with the late Jeffrey Epstein in an interview due to air on NRK on Friday.
The conversation, filmed at the couple’s Skaugum residence alongside Crown Prince Haakon, comes as her son’s high-profile trial reaches its conclusion.
Marius Borg Høiby’s seven-week trial in Oslo District Court began in February and has drawn intense national attention.
The 29-year-old faces around 40 charges, including multiple rape counts, serious assault, drug offences and traffic violations; he denies the most serious accusations.
Defence lawyers told the court this week that Høiby should be acquitted of the rape charges and only convicted for offences he has admitted.
Those admitted crimes include transporting a large quantity of marijuana, violating a restraining order and dangerous driving, for which his lawyers say an 18-month sentence would be appropriate.
Prosecutors have asked judges to hand down a sentence of seven years and seven months if convicted.
The three-judge panel is expected to announce its decision in June.
Although Høiby is not a formal member of the royal family, the trial has damaged the monarchy’s reputation.
One of the earliest alleged incidents took place in 2018 at the Skaugum estate, and commentators have described the case as among the most damaging royal scandals in Norway’s recent memory.
The trial was preceded by the release of hundreds of emails from 2011–2014 that revealed Mette-Marit’s contact with Epstein.
The messages showed she spent several days at Epstein’s Palm Beach residence while he was not there and later checked his background, later acknowledging those contacts reflected poor judgment.
The crown princess has already apologised publicly and admitted lapses in judgement.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre echoed that criticism at the time, an uncommon public reprimand of a royal figure.
Mette-Marit has also been coping with serious health problems.
The royal household says she has pulmonary fibrosis and her condition has worsened, meaning she is unlikely to take part in an upcoming state visit by Belgium’s king and queen.
Two organisations for which she served as patron have cut ties, while others have asked for explanations.
The Epstein revelations have also ensnared other Norwegian figures: former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland faces a gross-corruption charge related to the matter and parliament has approved an independent inquiry into the foreign ministry’s contacts with Epstein.
Observers see the timing of the NRK interview — recorded as Høiby’s trial drew to a close — as a deliberate attempt by the crown princess and crown prince to wait until court proceedings were almost over before going public.
The broadcast may be the first step in addressing the fallout and attempting to move forward.
