The trial of Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway's Crown Princess, has heard the first account from a woman he is alleged to have raped at a party in 2018.
The woman told the court in tears she had no recollection of what had happened, after an earlier sexual encounter that lasted a matter of seconds.
Facing 38 charges against him, Marius Borg Høiby pleaded not guilty to raping four women and other serious offences but admitted breaking a restraining order, transporting marijuana, and speeding while partly admitting threats and aggravated assault.
He is due to take the stand for the first time in the trial on Wednesday afternoon.
Although he has grown up as Crown Prince Haakon's stepson, Marius Borg Høiby is not a member of the royal family or a public figure. However, the first count of rape is alleged to have taken place in his parents' basement on their Skaugum estate outside Oslo.
As the trial began at Oslo district court on Tuesday, the palace came under increasing pressure to explain his mother's three-year exchange of messages with the late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014. Crown Princess Mette-Marit has already admitted to poor judgement, after details emerged of a four-day stay at his home in Palm Beach, Miami. But the palace has said little more as further revelations have emerged.
No photos were allowed as her son entered courtroom 250 at Oslo district court at the start of a seven-week trial. Wearing thick-rimmed glasses, a brown sweater and olive-green trousers, the blond defendant fiddled with a bracelet, speaking very quietly as he pleaded not guilty to raping four women. He later removed his sweater and sat in a plain, white T-shirt.
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø said he would be treated no differently than any other Norwegian. But in an impassioned opening statement, defence counsel Ellen Holager Andenæs said he had already been subjected to prejudicial treatment from the media.
Heavy court restrictions have been imposed on the trial, with a ban on photos of the defendant or the women he is alleged to have raped inside or outside court. While much of the first day was open to reporters, the doors were closed for the trial to hear from the first woman to give evidence in the case.
She described the situation as surreal and overwhelming, and said it was unfair she was being dragged into the criminal case. The alleged events took place in 2018 and it was not until after the defendant's arrest in 2024 that police found videos on his phone.
Her testimony is due to continue on Wednesday, with the four women said to have been incapacitated at the time of the alleged rapes.
The trial comes at an incredibly difficult time for the royal family due to the ongoing scandals involving Crown Princess Mette-Marit. A recent opinion poll indicated a waning support for the royal family, although it remains historically popular.
If found guilty, Marius Borg Høiby could face at least 10 years in prison. The case will be decided by a panel of three judges.
