A Family in Crisis
The son of Norway’s Crown Princess has been granted bail after making a tearful plea to be with his gravely ill mother, who is now on the country’s transplant list as she waits for a new pair of lungs. However, prosecutors immediately appealed the decision, preventing Marius Borg Høiby from being reunited with Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the rest of his family, including his sister Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who returned to Oslo on Tuesday after leaving Australia where she had been studying at Sydney University.
Høiby has been in custody since February, awaiting the verdict following a seven-week criminal trial, due on June 15. He denies the most serious charges, which include four counts of rape and assault. The 29-year-old pleaded guilty to some of the lesser offences, which include a drugs charge, traffic offences and breaching a restraining order.
He appeared in Oslo’s District Court on Monday afternoon where he tearfully pleaded with a judge to be released. “Every Sunday when we meet in prison, I know that it could be the last time I see her,” Høiby said.
The Crown Princess and her husband Crown Prince Haakon, along with Princess Ingrid Alexandra and their son Prince Sverre Magnus, 20, visited Høiby in prison last week. Mette-Marit was photographed wearing a nasal breathing tube connected to an oxygen tank inside a backpack as she arrived at the prison.
Høiby told the court: “You never know when a lung will come and there is a great risk associated with such an operation.” He said it would not be appropriate for his mother to visit him in prison after her lung transplant due to the risk of infection.
On Friday, the Royal House of Norway confirmed Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, is now on the transplant waiting list.
Mette-Marit, who is married to Norway’s heir to the throne, has been living with a chronic lung condition since 2018. The disease causes scarring in the lungs and makes breathing difficult, with one doctor likening it to breathing through a straw. The crown princess’ health has significantly deteriorated in recent weeks, forcing her to wear a nasal breathing tube at official engagements.
She will receive a donor set of lungs when the first suitable pair becomes available and will not be prioritised due to her position as a member of the monarchy.
Late last week, there were currently eight people waiting for a lung transplant in Norway, the country’s Organ Donation Foundation said. To be considered for the waiting list, doctors must determine whether the patient would have just one or two years left to live if they do not receive new lungs.
Høiby was recently allowed to attend a meeting between his family and Mette-Marit’s medical team outside of prison where they were briefed about the transplant process, including the risks involved.
“Seeing my mother at home versus in Oslo prison was a very different experience,” Høiby told the court. “There, she was a slightly different mother, it was incredibly wonderful to see.”
He added: “I’m having an extremely tough time. Sitting inside while I know my mum is so sick is unbearable. Being together as a family during a time like this is very important.”
Høiby was granted bail but the decision was immediately appealed by prosecutors and will now go to the Court of Appeal. A decision is expected next week, days before the verdict in the criminal trial is handed down.
Prosecutors argue Høiby could violate a restraining order against an ex-girlfriend, known only as ‘the Frogner woman’. The court has previously ruled that there is a risk that Høiby will violate the restraining order against her. Last month Høiby asked to be released to the family’s private estate, Skaugum, where his mother and stepfather Crown Prince Haakon live, with an ankle monitor to track his movements but it was denied.
Lawyers for the Frogner woman said she wants Høiby to be with his mother. If he is granted bail next week, Høiby would be released to Skaugum and said he would “live next door to my sister [Princess Ingrid Alexandra]”.
The princess, 22, left Sydney on Tuesday and had been due to sit her exams this week. Ingrid Alexandra, who is second-in-line to the throne after her father Crown Prince Haakon, will continue her bachelor degree at the University of Oslo on exchange from Sydney University, the Royal House said on Friday.
It is expected she will remain in Norway for the foreseeable future while her mother recovers from the major surgery. The princess will hopefully return to Australia at some point to complete her three-year degree at Sydney University.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra arrived in late July to begin the degree in social science, specialising in international relations and politics. On May 17, nine.com.au was there when the princess carried out her first public appearance in Australia, attending Norway’s National Day celebrations in Sydney.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra and her younger brother Prince Sverre Magnus will increase their own official engagements to help their elderly grandparents King Harald V, 89, and Queen Sonja, 88, who also have their own health issues. The Crown Prince will reduce his own workload while Crown Princess Mette-Marit has the surgery. She faces a long recovery and will be absent from official duties indefinitely, the Royal House said.
