In the grand halls of the Norwegian royal palace, Crown Princess Mette-Marit faced the cameras with visible strain, her voice steady yet heavy as she delivered a profound public apology that stunned a nation: “I deeply regret my friendship with Jeffrey Epstein… It is important for me to apologize to all of you whom I have disappointed.”
Freshly released Epstein files from the U.S. Justice Department revealed hundreds—possibly thousands—of emails exchanged between 2011 and 2014, warm messages planning meetups and revealing she borrowed his Palm Beach villa for several days in 2013 while he was away. The correspondence, surfacing years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, has thrust Norway’s future queen into the heart of the global scandal, sparking outrage, political debate, and questions about judgment in royal circles.
As charities distance themselves and public dismay grows amid her son’s separate legal troubles, one burning question remains: can the monarchy weather this storm, or will it force lasting change?
In the grand halls of the Norwegian royal palace, Crown Princess Mette-Marit faced the cameras with visible strain, her voice steady yet heavy as she delivered a profound public apology that stunned a nation: “I deeply regret my friendship with Jeffrey Epstein… It is important for me to apologize to all of you whom I have disappointed.”
On February 6, 2026, the 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon issued a written statement via the Royal House following intense media pressure and revelations from the U.S. Department of Justice’s January 30 release of over three million Epstein-related pages. The files included hundreds—possibly over a thousand—mentions of Mette-Marit, with warm emails exchanged between 2011 and 2014, well after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution. Correspondence revealed plans for meetups, affectionate terms like “sweetheart,” discussions on personal matters, and her borrowing his Palm Beach villa for several days in 2013 while he was absent. One exchange from 2012 had her joking about inappropriate wallpaper suggestions for her teenage son, while Epstein referenced a “wife hunt” preferring Scandinavians.
Mette-Marit, a commoner who married into the monarchy in 2001, had previously expressed regret in 2019 for any contact with Epstein, insisting it ended earlier. The new documents contradicted that timeline, showing interactions persisted into 2014. In her apology, she condemned Epstein’s crimes, took responsibility for not investigating his background thoroughly, and acknowledged that some message content “does not represent the person I want to be.” She also expressed sorrow for the burden placed on the royal family, particularly King Harald V and Queen Sonja.
The scandal compounded existing turmoil. Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was on trial in Oslo starting February 3, 2026, facing 38 charges including four counts of rape, multiple assaults, threats, and drug offenses—risking up to 16 years if convicted. He pleaded not guilty to the serious allegations, admitting some lesser ones. Days before the trial opened, Høiby was rearrested on February 1 for alleged assault, knife threats, and violating a restraining order, remanded in custody amid concerns of reoffending.
Charities began distancing themselves, reviewing or cutting ties with Mette-Marit amid public dismay and political debate over royal judgment and suitability. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre agreed she showed “poor judgment,” while media and critics questioned whether the future queen could weather the dual crises. The Epstein fallout—part of a broader European reckoning involving figures like Thorbjørn Jagland—exposed lingering elite connections post-conviction.
As outrage grew and calls for transparency intensified, one burning question remained: can the monarchy, long a symbol of stability in egalitarian Norway, weather this storm, or will it force lasting change in royal accountability and public trust?
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