A controversial “pose photo” posted by Sophie Elise Isachsen becomes central to the trial as Marius Borg Høiby claims it was deliberate PR, not an accident, and describes it as a crisis for his family. In court, he admits smashing phones, throwing one “into a thousand pieces,” and having a long-standing anger problem, but denies strangulation and assault allegations tied to the Alta incident. Jurors hear audio in which he shouts abuse and says, “I grabbed you really f---ing hard,” while Nora Haukland is heard pleading, “Don’t strangle me.” Høiby insists the relationship was mutually volatile, says he feels “extremely used,” and defends his parents as proceedings fall behind schedule.

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

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King Harald, 89, is hospitalized in Tenerife with infection and dehydration, prompting a palace update and fresh questions about succession, with Crown Prince Haakon next in line and Mette-Marit’s role poised to shift instantly if required.

In Oslo District Court, Marius Borg Høiby grows emotional as he disputes Nora Haukland’s abuse allegations, admits heavy drinking and pushing incidents, but denies strangulation and key elements of her account as prosecutors move chronologically through the indictment.

The trial is now behind schedule with high-profile witnesses expected.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland is hospitalized amid an expanding aggravated corruption investigation tied to newly released Epstein files, after the Council of Europe lifts his immunity.

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

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Week four of the trial of Marius Borg Høiby took a dramatic turn in Oslo District Court as Nora Haukland continued her testimony — including graphic audio played in court — before Høiby returned to the stand to deny violence and reject what he called a relationship he does not recognize.

We'll leave the details out of the epsiode description as some are graphic.

Proceedings adjourned with Høiby set to continue testimony tomorrow.

Meanwhile, King Harald marked his eighty-ninth birthday with a tightly framed photo featuring only himself, Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra — widely seen as a visual reinforcement of the line of succession amid turbulence.

Adding to the pressure, questions are intensifying over Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s 2013 Palm Beach stay. The Royal Household maintains she received no money from Jeffrey Epstein, but scrutiny now centers on who paid for services arranged during the visit. Legal experts say the threshold for criminal investigation is not met, yet political pressure remains.

The trial continues through mid-March.

Portions of this program were assembled with the assistance of AI, including help with translation, summarisation, and news gathering from publicly available sources. While we have taken care to reflect the reporting accurately, translations and interpretations may contain errors. Listeners should treat this as an informational overview, not a verbatim court record. Nothing in this program should be considered a factual finding or legal determination.

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.

Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family

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Crown and Controversy - King Charles

Crown and Controversy - Norway 

The trial of Marius Borg Høiby has moved into a critical new phase, focusing on the charge of mishandling in a close relationship involving Nora Haukland. Under Norwegian law, prosecutors must prove not isolated incidents but a sustained “regime of violence or intimidation.”This week, the court is reviewing an extensive archive of messages between the two to determine whether the relationship was defined by fear and control, as prosecutors argue, or whether the defence can show a different dynamic.

Outside the courtroom, Norwegian media are debating coverage intensity after more than ten thousand domestic articles in the past year. NRK has also faced criticism for referencing the case in a comedy sketch, which the broadcaster defended as satire.As proceedings continue, the focus is now squarely on credibility, pattern and proof — and whether prosecutors can meet the high legal threshold required for conviction. 

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has returned Norway’s Order of St. Olav, one of the country’s highest royal honours, according to the Norwegian Royal Palace. The palace confirmed only that he “has chosen to return his order,” offering no further explanation under confidentiality rules.

Meanwhile in Oslo, the trial of Marius Borg Høiby continues this week, with Nora Haukland expected to complete her testimony before Høiby gives his account on the charges relating to her.

At the same time, Norway’s Royal Palace has moved to shut down speculation that Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s health announcement was timed to blunt the impact of Epstein document releases.

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

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Father of victim testifies: "Anger. A lot of anger from me toward Marius Borg Høiby. I am a father, plain and simple. It is biology — we are born with a protective instinct." Daughter told him she met "the prince," then police showed her videos: "She was in shock." Hotel victim testimony: 27 videos recovered, "He would never finish. He wouldn't stop. I was afraid." Videos stored at Royal Palace address Slottsplassen 1.

Høiby activated Private Photo Vault subscription 2 hours after alleged assault. Høiby confirms filming 27 videos: "I simply like recording sexual encounters, watch material later instead of pornography." Claims woman was aware despite not asking permission. Sleep researcher: pulse data "compatible with her initially being asleep, unable to resist." Nora Haukland emotional testimony: choking, slapping, "black out." "I feel Marius has two faces. One very sweet and charming, one determined and angry." Video shows security guard saw choking. Høiby: "Yes, that's fine." Haukland: "I really wanted to save him. I feel very sorry for him."

Mette-Marit's German reputation "completely destroyed." Crown Princess alone at Skaugum while family at Olympics. Defence attacks police arrest operation. Opinion piece: media pressure could justify reduced sentence. Theatre play "The Son" in development.


AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.

Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family

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Influencer and former Love Island Norway contestant Nora Haukland delivered harrowing testimony in Oslo District Court, describing what prosecutors call a “regime of fear” during her relationship with Marius Borg Høiby. Høiby denies criminal guilt.

Haukland told the court she was pushed onto a sofa at Skaugum, grabbed by the throat, slapped and screamed at. “All I see in his eyes is just hate,” she said, recounting moments where she felt herself “black out.” She described being called vile names, threatened, and pinned against walls, and spoke about repeated denial that left her questioning her own reality. “In the end you start to believe it,” she explained.

Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø pressed her on why she stayed. “You had a lot of hope that it would get better,” she replied, describing a split between what she called Høiby’s “sweet and charming” side and a darker, angry persona. Despite the allegations, she told the court she still feels fondness for him and once wanted to “save him.”

The court also heard references to a taxi video in which a caller allegedly mentioned seeing Høiby grab her by the throat. Haukland said she never received the apology she sought. Høiby was reported to have rarely looked at her during testimony and spent much of the session drawing.
Next week, Haukland is due to finish her evidence before Høiby gives his own account on the domestic abuse charges. Additional witnesses — including Sophie Elise — are expected, along with technical and forensic testimony.

Portions of this program were assembled with the assistance of AI, including help with translation, summarisation, and news gathering from publicly available sources. While we have taken care to reflect the reporting accurately, translations and interpretations may contain errors. Listeners should treat this as an informational overview, not a verbatim court record. Nothing in this program should be considered a factual finding or legal determination.

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.

Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family

Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown

King William - The Crown in the Future

Crown and Controversy - King Charles

Crown and Controversy - Norway 

Thursday’s session in the trial of Marius Borg Høiby marked a decisive shift as the defendant gave his own detailed account of the November 2024 hotel encounter at the center of one of the rape charges. Høiby acknowledged that he filmed 27 videos found on his phone from that night and admitted he did not explicitly ask for permission to record, but insisted there was “no doubt” the woman knew she was being filmed. He rejected the allegation of rape, maintaining that the sex was voluntary and based on mutual chemistry, and said he has never shared the recordings.

Under questioning, he said that if someone says stop, then it means stop — but added he had no memory of her doing so. He also told the court he struggled to separate what he remembers from that night from what he has since learned through the investigation. An expert in sleep research testified that the short video clips are compatible with both sleep and wakefulness, adding that rapid deep sleep is possible under the influence of alcohol, creating uncertainty about consent.

The court then heard from the woman’s friend and sister, who described changes in her behaviour after viewing the recordings in a police interview. The defence highlighted earlier statements in which she spoke more lightly about the encounter, arguing the situation was reinterpreted later and that the legal threshold for the charges has not been met.

A dramatic moment unfolded when a former inmate who allegedly claimed Høiby boasted in prison about filming the woman refused to travel to testify. Prosecutors are considering whether to compel his appearance. Høiby denied making such statements and dismissed suggestions he received special treatment while in custody, saying he was treated like any other inmate and describing feeling like “Norway’s most hated man.”

With influencer and former partner Nora Haukland expected to testify next, the trial now moves into what both sides anticipate will be an emotionally charged phase focused on text messages, control, fear and the dynamics of past relationships.

Portions of this program were assembled with the assistance of AI, including help with translation, summarisation, and news gathering from publicly available sources. While we have taken care to reflect the reporting accurately, translations and interpretations may contain errors. Listeners should treat this as an informational overview, not a verbatim court record. Nothing in this program should be considered a factual finding or legal determination.


AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.

Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family

Crown and Controversy - British Royal Family after the TV Series The Crown

King William - The Crown in the Future

Crown and Controversy - King Charles

Crown and Controversy - Norway 

Day ten of the trial of Marius Borg Høiby brought powerful testimony from a new complainant who alleges she was assaulted at a Forenom apart-hotel in Oslo in November 2024. She told the court the evening began with a flirtatious after-party atmosphere following an Aqua concert but ended in fear, confusion and panic. Both sides agree there was consensual sex shortly after arriving at the hotel. The dispute centers on what happened after she says she told him she wanted to sleep.

The woman testified that she woke repeatedly to being touched while asleep and described seeing what she believed was a camera flash before he lowered his phone. Prosecutors say investigators recovered 27 videos and four still images tied to the incident, recorded across two separate time blocks. S

ome recordings reportedly show her appearing awake, others motionless. She told the court she never consented to being filmed and never consented to sexual activity while asleep, stating clearly: “We had no agreement that he could film me or touch me while I was sleeping.”

Høiby, who denies criminal guilt in this and the other rape allegations, was expected to begin his explanation of the hotel incident but told the judge he was too tired and would wait until today. His account is now one of the key anticipated moments in the proceedings.

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

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Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family

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King William - The Crown in the Future

Crown and Controversy - King Charles

Crown and Controversy - Norway 

The Marius Borg Høiby rape trial continued in Oslo District Court with testimony from a victim's father, a sleep researcher, and multiple witnesses. Prosecutors presented evidence that Høiby activated an encrypted photo vault app hours after the alleged assault, with billing tied to Slottsplassen 1 — the Norwegian Royal Palace. Sleep expert Ståle Pallesen explained how sleep deprivation and medication could impair a victim's awareness. Day 10 will feature the fourth and final complainant. 

AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

You may also enjoy these other Royal Podcasts.

Palace Intrigue - daily updates on the current British Ryal Family

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Crown and Controversy - Norway