Norway's royal family has endured a tumultuous 2024, to say the least. The country's future queen, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, saw her son arrested on suspicion of rape after two other high-profile arrests, and King Harald and Queen Sonia's daughter, Princess Märtha Louise, married a Hollywood shaman known for his controversial views. As the drama surrounding the Norwegian royals continues to dominate the media, one expert is offering insight into the public's true sentiments.
Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen, a royal commentator for Norway's TV2, tells Marie Claire that while this year's news has made an impact on the Norwegian people, it's not necessarily a crisis-level response. "According to surveys, the Norwegian public has voiced a diminishing trust in the monarchy due to the scandals and controversies that have rocked the institution the past year," he shares.
However, Schulsrud-Hansen points out that "it is not evident that a lack of trust in the monarchy has resulted in revitalized support for the republic," noting that a recent survey by Norwegian state broadcaster NRK revealed an "overwhelmingly positive" view of how the royals have carried out their official duties.
In August, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's 27-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby—who was born to the future queen from a previous partner before she met Crown Prince Haakon—was arrested after he was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend. In September, the princess's son was arrested a second time for reportedly breaking a restraining order the woman held against him, and on Nov. 18, he was arrested yet again, this time on suspicion of rape.
Borg Høiby was later accused of two other separate sex crimes, per Norwegian outlet Se og Hør. The future Norwegian king's stepson does not carry out royal duties, much like Queen Camilla's children, and holds no royal title.
Schulsrud-Hansen, who hosts the Undersåttene royal podcast, tells Marie Claire that despite Mette-Marit's son's legal troubles, he does "not think that this will weaken the prospects of the crown princess as a future queen."
"The public seems to have a deal of sympathy for the crown princess at this time," he adds.
Crown Prince Haakon spoke out when his stepson was arrested last month, telling NRK, "There are serious charges that Marius is now facing. Today, of course, we are thinking of all those affected." A day later he told the broadcaster, "We as a family and as parents have, of course, been very concerned that Marius should get help."
When asked if he thinks the royals are handling the situation well from a public relations perspective, Schulsrud-Hansen says he feels "that the silence of the royal family is a display of how serious they perceive the situation," with there "being a police investigation and probably a court case in the future."
"The Høiby case has evolved into the extreme from what it was when he was first arrested in August, and a comment from the royal family at that time could have done more bad than good," he adds. The broadcaster tells Marie Claire that King Harald and Queen Sonia have not spoken out on the recent controversies, other than a comment the monarch made in a recent speech.
"The only thing King Harald has stated on the matter with Høiby was in a speech during the parliament's dinner at the palace in late October," Schulsrud-Hansen says. "The King said that when one in the family struggles, it impacts the whole family."
As for Princess Märtha Louise and her shaman husband, Durek Verrett, their 2024 wedding had an interesting impact on the public. "In early September a survey stated that the Norwegian public thought the wedding of the couple was more damaging to the monarchy than the Høiby case, but that seems to have changed since then," the Norwegian royal reporter reveals.
Of course, this was before Borg Høiby's rape accusations, and it seems that those stories have largely pushed Märtha Louise out of the spotlight. "The controversies around Princess Märtha Louise and her husband have almost completely disappeared from the Norwegian media," Schulsrud-Hansen shares.
As the royal scandals in Norway continue to captivate the public, only time will tell whether they make a lasting impact on the monarchy's reputation.
