"The king's step-grandson, Marius Borg Hiby, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married in 2001, is standing trial in Oslo charged with 38 counts, including the rape of four women. On Tuesday, the first day of his trial that has transfixed Norway, Hiby pleaded not guilty to the most serious charges of rape and domestic violence but acknowledged partial guilt a plea allowed under Norwegian law for aggravated assault and reckless behaviour."
"The crown princess had planned to leave the country for at least some of the trial, but changed her mind after the latest tranche of the Epstein files, released last Friday by the US justice department, appeared to include nearly 1,000 mentions of her. In one exchange from 2012, she asked Epstein in an email if it was inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15 yr old sons wallpaper?"
"The Epstein revelations prompted fierce criticism of Mette-Marit, including from the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Str, who agreed with her own comments that she had shown poor judgement and called on her to provide more information. On Friday, Mette-Marit released a statement via the royal household expressing her deepest regret for my friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and apologising for the situation that I have put the royal family in, especially the king and queen."
King Harald’s upcoming 89th birthday is overshadowed by two major scandals that have dented the monarchy’s popularity. The king’s step-grandson, Marius Borg Hiby, faces 38 charges in Oslo, including rape allegations; he pleaded not guilty to the most serious counts while admitting partial guilt for aggravated assault and reckless behaviour. Crown Princess Mette-Marit is under scrutiny after Epstein files reportedly mention her nearly 1,000 times, including an email exchange from 2012. The revelations prompted criticism from political leaders, and Mette-Marit issued a public apology expressing regret for her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the impact on the royal family.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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