Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
Norwegian royal (born 1973)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby[a] 19 August 1973) is a member by marriage of the Norwegian royal family. She has been married to Crown Prince Haakon, the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, since 2001. Mette-Marit and Haakon have two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Her oldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, became the stepson of the crown prince, in 2001.[2]
19 August 1973[1]
Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway
| Mette-Marit | |
|---|---|
| Crown Princess of Norway | |
Mette-Marit in 2013 | |
| Born | Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby 19 August 1973[1] Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| House | Glücksburg (by marriage) |
| Father | Sven O. Høiby |
| Mother | Marit Tjessem |
| Religion | Church of Norway |
In 2026, the Epstein files showed that she had extensive contact with Jeffrey Epstein and over a longer period than she had previously admitted.[3][4][5][3] A poll by VG in February 2026, showed that 44% of respondents do not want Mette-Marit as a future queen of Norway; 32.5% of respondents, want her as future queen.[6] On 19 March 2026, Mette-Marit and her husband did a controversial[7] interview together, that was published the next day.[8][9][10] The interview leaves many questions unanswered in regard to her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a now deceased convict.[11]
Early life, education, and early career
Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby was born a commoner in Kristiansand city.[12] She is the daughter of Sven O. Høiby, who had been unemployed for some time but had previously worked as a small-scale advertiser and journalist for a local paper in Kristiansand, and Marit Tjessem, a former bank clerk. Her father was also a felon who had twice been convicted of violence.[13][14] Her parents divorced, and her father later married professional stripper Renate Barsgård.[15] She has a sister and two older brothers, including Per Høiby. Trond Berntsen, her stepbrother by her mother's 1994 marriage to Rolf Berntsen, died in the 2011 Norway attacks.[16] Most of her ancestors were cotters and small farmers.[17]
After starting at Oddernes upper secondary school in Kristiansand, Mette-Marit spent six months at Wangaratta High School in Victoria, Australia, as an exchange student with the organisation Youth For Understanding. Later, she attended Kristiansand Cathedral School, where completed her upper secondary education in 1994.[18] She then spent several months working for the Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce[19][better source needed] at Norway House in Cockspur Street, London.
As a part-time student, Mette-Marit took six years, instead of the usual four, to complete her secondary education. She then took preparatory college courses at Agder College and worked as a waitress at the Oslo restaurant Café Engebret.[20]
Mette-Marit has taken several university-level courses.[21] In 2002 and 2003, she attended lectures in development studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.[22] In 2012, she obtained a master's degree in executive management from BI Norwegian Business School.[21]
Public life
As of March 2026, Mette-Marit has stayed out of the public eye for 6 weeks; no explanation has been given;[23][24] meeting the Belgian royal couple during March 24-26, is no longer on her official agenda.
Earlier (year 2000), when Crown Prince Haakon's engagement to Mette-Marit was announced,[25] public and media reaction was negative, with many Norwegians "horrified"[26][better source needed] and feeling that Haakon's choice of partner was questionable. Mette-Marit's lack of education, previous relationships with convicted felons and socialization in a milieu "where drugs were readily available" were often cited.[27][28][29] Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen, the King's older sister, said she hoped she would never live to see the day Mette-Marit became queen, which is now the case since she died in September 2012.[30]
The couple's eight-month engagement included a period of cohabitation in an Oslo apartment, of which the conservative Church of Norway disapproved.[31] Mette-Marit's past was a topic in Norwegian public discourse for years after her engagement and marriage to Haakon.[32]
Haakon is the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.[33] Upon her 2001 marriage to Haakon, Mette-Marit acquired the title "Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Norway".[34] Princess Ingrid Alexandra, the daughter of Haakon and Mette-Marit, is second in line to the throne of Norway.[35] Prince Sverre Magnus, the son of Haakon and Mette-Marit, is third in line.[36]
Crown Princess Mette-Marit was accepted as an intern at NORAD, the Norwegian government's development organization. The appointment was criticised due to her lack of relevant qualifications.[22]
Mette-Marit is a patron of the Norwegian Red Cross and several other organisations.[37][38][better source needed] In 2010, she was named Young Global Leader under the World Economic Forum, and in 2012 she became a member of the international Foundation Board of the Global Shapers Community.[37][better source needed]
In 2012, Mette-Marit attracted controversy for assisting a Norwegian couple with ties to the royal family in procuring surrogacy services in India; surrogacy is banned in Norway. She was criticised by women's rights groups who accused her of participating in human trafficking that exploits women in developing countries.[39][40] The next year, the practice was banned in India as a form of human trafficking and harmful to women and children.[41][42]
In 2015, Mette-Marit and Population Services International senior vice-president Kate Roberts established Maverick Collective. On 26 April 2017, Mette-Marit was appointed as ambassador for Norwegian literature in the international arena.[37]
Haakon and Mette-Marit established The Crown Prince and Crown Princess's Foundation to identify and support projects for young people in Norway with the objective of strengthening youth leadership and integration.[43][better source needed]
Polls have found Mette-Marit to be relatively unpopular.[44][45] She is often criticized[by whom?] for her penchant for expensive luxury items, "extravagant spending", and accepting lavish gifts.[46][47]
After 2024, Mette-Marit's popularity dropped significantly, with only 27% of Norwegians approving of her as a future queen.[48][49][50]
UNAIDS
Mette-Marit became a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador in 2006. In that role, she focuses on empowering youth in responding to AIDS. She participated in several international AIDS conferences; visited several countries to raise awareness of the work and mission of UNAIDS;[51] and highlighted the role of young women and adolescent girls in the AIDS response.[52][better source needed]
At the 2014 United Nations General Assembly, Mette-Marit emphasized how stigma and discrimination are undermining advances in the AIDS response.[53] During a visit to Mali, she highlighted the opportunities social media provides to empower young people in new areas of advocacy.[54] While visiting Tanzania in 2016, Mette-Marit said it was rewarding to see skilled young people in AIDS response leadership roles and guiding the country toward an AIDS-free generation.[52] She opened the Youth Pavilion at the XVIII International AIDS Conference.[55]
Personal and family life
Relationships and marriage
By her own admission, Mette-Marit had a rebellious phase before meeting Crown Prince Haakon.[56][57][58]
During the 1990s, Mette-Marit was in a relationship with John Ognby, a man convicted of drug-related offenses.[59][60] Their relationship progressed to the point of purchasing a wedding dress.[61]
From 1997 to 1998, Mette-Marit lived with her son, Marius, and her then-partner, a disc jockey.[62] From 1998 to 1999, she lived in Kristiansand with her son and with another disc jockey with whom she was in a relationship.[62][63]
In the 1990s, Mette-Marit attended the Quart Festival, Norway's largest music festival, in her hometown of Kristiansand. She met Crown Prince Haakon at a garden party during the Quart Festival season. Years later, after becoming a mother, she met Haakon at another party related to the festival.[64] Haakon and Mette-Marit announced their engagement in December 2000.[25] Before their wedding, they lived together in Oslo.[31]
Mette-Marit and Haakon married on 25 August 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral.[65]
Children
Mette-Marit and Haakon have two children together: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born 21 January 2004, and Prince Sverre Magnus, born 3 December 2005.[66]
Her oldest son is Marius Borg Høiby.
Marius Borg Høiby
Her oldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, is on trial (as of mid-March 2026)[67] on 38 charges including charges of rape and drug trafficking.[68]
Prior to her engagement in 2000 with the crown prince, Mette-Marit already has a son, Marius Borg Høiby, born out of wedlock on 13 January 1997.[69] His father is Morten Borg,[70] a convicted felon and a close friend of Mette-Marit's one-time partner John Ognby.[61] Mette-Marit and Morten Borg were never in a relationship.[63] At the time of Høiby's birth, Borg was in prison for drug-related violent crimes.[63]
On 18 August 2025, Marius Høiby was charged with 32 offences, including the rapes of four women and acts of violence against two former partners.[71] The media claimed that Høiby and his family have received preferential treatment from police.[72] Mette-Marit has been accused of warning her son about his impending arrest and of evidence tampering and witness tampering,[73][74] but no charges have been filed against her. Norwegian media have called the Høiby case one of the most extensive rape investigations in recent years.[75] Marius Høiby's trial for the August 2025 indictment began on 3 February 2026.[76][77] Shortly before his trial began, he was arrested and remanded in custody on new criminal charges,[78][79] followed a month later by charges of reckless behaviour and violating a restraining order, facing a total of forty charges, to some of the less serious of which he admitted. The more serious charges could lead to over ten years' imprisonment.[80]
Health
In October 2018, Mette-Marit was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.[81] She said she would undergo treatment at Oslo University Hospital.[82] Mette-Marit has dealt with "health challenges on a regular basis", including pneumonia, several instances of norovirus, low blood pressure, falls, concussions, a neck injury, and a herniated disc.[83]
In December 2025, the palace revealed that Mette-Marit's pulmonary fibrosis was approaching a point where she would require a lung transplant.[84]
In March 2026, it was reported that the health of Mette-Maritt, who last made attended a public engagement on 28 January 2026, was now worsening, with her pulmonary fibrosis still remaining delicate.[85][86] Her communications manager Guri Valpe acknowledged to TV2 that "there has been a clear negative development in the Crown Princess's health recently" since December 2025 and that an assessment was now underway to determine if she could get a lung transplant.[85][87]
Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein
Mette-Marit maintained contact with the American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014. At the time she entered into a friendship with Epstein, Norwegian media had identified him as a "convicted pedophile".[89] She also helped Epstein connect with young women.[90] In 2019, Norwegian and international media reported that she met him several times between 2011 and 2013, after his 2008 conviction on charges of sex trafficking of minors and release from prison.[91][92][93]
Mette-Marit in 2026 minimized the extent of her contact with Epstein, saying that he was "responsible for his own actions".[5]
The Royal Palace's communications manager Guri Varpe said in late 2025 that Mette-Marit had ceased contact with Epstein in 2013,[94] a claim disproved by the 2026 release of the Epstein files.[5][92][95] A poll showed that 45% of Norwegians consider that Mette-Marit should not become queen; 29% said yes to her becoming queen.[96] As a result of the scandal, Mette-Marit was stripped of her patronage of Sex og Samfunn, a major NGO, with other organisations discussing her removal as patron.[97] In response to ongoing discussion over whether Mette-Marit can serve as queen, legal scholar Eivind Smith said it is possible for Haakon to become king without Mette-Marit becoming queen or holding any public title, even if they remain married, as titles are decided by the king.[98] International media have extensively covered scandals involving the Norwegian royal family, linking it to Epstein, rape allegations, and controversy. Experts have said this has damaged Norway's international standing, as the royal family's conduct increasingly undermines its role as a representative of the Norwegian state abroad.[99]
March 2026 interview
On 19 March, Mette-Marit and her husband did a controversial[100] interview together, that was published the next day.[101] Tove Taalesen, an expert regarding the royal family of Norway, said that Mette-Marit should not become queen and that "she had one chance, and she did not take it". Taalesen continued saying that "the public can not let bad health become an excuse for bad judgement", and "even though she is likely to become queen some day, we are no longer discussing what kind of queen she will become, [...] but if at all, she should become a queen".[102]
Some of the questions were sent in advance to the interviewees; some other questions were follow-ups; the broadcasting company, NRK, was free to ask any questions, during the alloted 20 minutes.[103]
Previously, in January 2026, Mette-Marit said that she will later provide more details on her relationship with Epstein.[73]
Titles, styles and honours
Titles
Since her marriage, Mette-Marit has been styled "Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Norway".[104]
Arms
Monogram
Honours and medals
National honours and medals
Norway: Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav[105]- Norway: Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of King Harald V[105]
- Norway: Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V[105]
- Norway: Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal[105]
- Norway: Recipient of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal[105][106]
Foreign honours
Austria: Grand Cross, 1st Class of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria[105][107][108]
Brazil: Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross[105][109]
Bulgaria: Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains[105][110]
Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant[105][111]
Estonia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana[105][112]- Estonia: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Star[105]
Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland[105]
France: Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (23 June 2025)
Germany: Grand Cross, 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany[105]
Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon[105]
Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[105][113]
Japan: Paulownia Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown[105]
Latvia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Recognition[105]
Lithuania: Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great[105][114]
Luxembourg: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau[105]
Netherlands: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau[105]- Netherlands: Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal[105]
Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland[105]
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry[105][115]
Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic[105][116]
Sweden: Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star[105]
Other information
In mid-March 2026, media said that Mette-Marit has not made any public appearance, since the end of January; neither she or the crown prince, are giving answers (to media), in regard to if she is on sick leave (sykemeldt); media is asking where she is.[117][118]
She has been photographed (in a car in Oslo) as late as 16 March 2026; her husband was the driver; the picture was taken at the jail of her oldest son, during a prison visit.[119]
Mette-Marit's engagement to Haakon earlier (in 2000) was highly controversial.[13] She was raised in a middle-class family, and had had relationships with several men convicted of drug-related crimes, one of whom, Morten Borg, fathered her son Marius Borg Høiby before going to prison.
Her oldest son is on trial (as of mid-March 2026)[67] on 38 charges including charges of rape and drug trafficking.[68] Mette-Marit has been accused by media, of obstructing the investigation by helping her son destroy evidence and warning him in advance of his arrest.[73][120]
In March 2026, the board of the Norwegian Girls Choir proclaimed that The Crown Princess's connections to Epstein had led to unrest in the organization and moved to remove her as patron. The decision is pending a vote by the members of the organisation. [121]
In 2007 TV2 published (on television), the documentary Mette-Marit – vår tids Askepott..[59]
Her friendship with Epstein was revealed by Norwegian media in the context of the scandal involving then-Prince Andrew, Duke of York, who that year resigned from all public roles over his longstanding ties to Epstein and allegations of sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre, and in 2025 was stripped of all royal titles.
In 2026, experts said the scandals involving the royal family's conduct increasingly undermine its role as a representative of the Norwegian state abroad.[99]
Notes
- pronounced [ˌmɛtːəˈmɑ̀ːrɪt ˈçɛ̀sːəm ˈhœ̀ʏbʏ]
