Haakon Called the Police Before Marius Borg's Arrest: Norway's New King Suggested His Stepson Turn Himself In Rather Than Be Picked Up on the Royal Estate

Norway has a new king, and it was supposed to open a new chapter in the history of the monarchy. Instead, the court is stuck in the Marius Borg Høiby case once again. Norwegian newspaper VG has published new details from the first hours of the August 2024 scandal - and they concern not only Marius, but also the man who now sits on the throne.

According to documents from the Bureau for the Investigation of Police Affairs, the body that investigates police conduct, Haakon, then crown prince, personally called a senior police officer to ask about his stepson's arrest. During the call he suggested that Marius turn himself in rather than be arrested at the official Skaugum estate. The authorities eventually agreed to carry out the arrest near a school in Asker, a few steps from the family estate. Throughout that day the police, the PST security service, the Justice Ministry and the Skaugum residence were in constant contact.

If you ever thought having connections in the police was a Balkan speciality, the Norwegian documents beg to differ. An ordinary citizen in that situation waits for the patrol car outside the door. The future king's stepson got a phone call and a deal on where he would be arrested.

Mette-Marit doesn't come out of it any better. In those hours, the then crown princess went to her son's flat to pick things up and tidy it. Lawyers for the victims challenged this, because it created the possibility that the scene had been altered. Maternal reflex or not, it was a flat in which the police were supposed to be looking for evidence.

The case itself has grown in the meantime. Marius first admitted to the events in the flat in the Frogner district and linked them to his addiction. The investigation then expanded to forty criminal offences. In early 2026 the Oslo District Court sentenced him to four years in prison for assaults and for two of the four sexual offence charges. Both the defence and the prosecution have appealed.

After his custody, Marius has been under house arrest with an electronic tag at Skaugum since the summer, a short distance from the royal couple's official residence. He left it for the funeral of King Harald V on 9 September 2026. The defence has repeatedly asked for the measure to be lifted so he can go back to work, without success. On 10 November the Supreme Court upheld it again: the risk of reoffending still exists, and irregularities were found in his alcohol tests. Marius stays under house arrest at least until the end of the month.

Haakon took the throne promising a new era. The first months of his reign show that a monarchy can change its titles overnight, but not its case files. What remains is the question every royal house hates hearing most: is everyone equal before the law - or do some get a phone call before the handcuffs?