Norwegian Royal Family’s ‘black sheep’: How future King’s stepson – who confessed to cocaine-fuelled assault – was accused of causing ‘security concerns’ aged 15 – while an ex was snapped with a bag of ‘white powder’

He’s been dubbed the ‘black sheep’ of the Norwegian Royal Family – and Marius Borg Høiby has more than lived up to his name.

The future King of Norway’s stepson, 27, yesterday sensationally admitted to assaulting his ‘girlfriend’ ‘after an argument’ while ‘intoxicated with cocaine and alcohol’ in a statement which has rocked the Nordic nation.

Ten days ago, Borg Høiby, the tattooed stepson of heir apparent Crown Prince Haakon, was arrested near Skaugum Castle, his family’s official residence, and spent 30 hours in police custody after the attack.

But it’s sadly not the first scandal to involve the former motorcycle mechanic – in February 2023, his girlfriend at the time was photographed holding a bag filled with ‘white powder’, with local media speculating it was actually cocaine.

Even aged just 15, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship was making headlines after a national newspaper suggested the then teenager was creating security concerns by using Instagram publicly and sharing his family’s location.

Borg Høiby was raised by his mother and stepfather with his half-siblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18, but unlike them he has no official public role.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at all the times the ‘black sheep’ of the Norwegian Royal Family caused controversy…  

ADMITTED TO ASSAULT ‘WHILE ON COCAINE’

Borg Høiby yesterday sensationally admitted to assaulting his ‘girlfriend’ ‘after an argument’ while ‘intoxicated with cocaine and alcohol’ in a statement which has rocked the Nordic nation.

Ten days ago, Borg Høiby, the tattooed stepson of heir apparent Crown Prince Haakon, was arrested near Skaugum Castle, his family’s official residence, after the violent episode.

Speaking for the first time, former motor mechanic Høiby made a frank admission of his culpability and a grovelling apology to Ms Arntsen and his loved ones.

In his statement, issued via his lawyer to state-controlled NRK, he said he suffers with ‘several mental disorders’ and has ‘struggled with substance abuse for a long time’, which he will now resume treatment for.

Photos reportedly taken of at the home in Oslo after the argument showed a knife planted in the wall and a broken chandelier. In July, Borg Høiby announced his relationship with Rebecca Helberg Arntsen.  

Speaking via his defence lawyer, Øyvind Bratlien, he said: ‘Last weekend something happened that should never have happened. I committed bodily harm and destroyed objects in an apartment in the intoxication of alcohol and cocaine after an argument.

‘I have several mental disorders which mean that throughout my upbringing and adult life, I have had, and still have, challenges. I have struggled with substance abuse for a long time, something I have been in treatment for in the past.

‘The drug use and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened in the apartment at Frogner on the night of Sunday last weekend. I want to be responsible for what I have done, and will explain myself truthfully to the police’, the statement added.

‘For me, the most important thing is to say sorry to my girlfriend. She deserved neither what happened that night, nor the extreme pressure from both the Norwegian and foreign press afterwards.’

Mette-Marit’s eldest son also apologised to his family for his actions that have ‘greatly affected you’.

Since his statement, the victim’s lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen told Dagbladet: ‘The last time I spoke to my client they were not lovers.’ 

The statement is the first he has made in the case. It is also the first time it has emerged that he will plead guilty to the charges.

His defence attorney Øyvind Bratlien said: ‘He has not formally taken a position on guilt as he has not been questioned, but in reality this is an admission of guilt after the charge,’ he told Norwegian channel TV2.

The woman’s legal aid lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen told VG: ‘It is good that he is speaking out and admitting a drug problem and she is happy about that.’ 

The statement appeared to take even the police unawares. Police inspector Henriette Taxt Røstadli told local media that they only became aware of it after being contacted by journalists this afternoon.

‘The police were not aware of this until it came out in the media,’ she said. 

The Norwegian Royal family made no comment on the case.

Royal expert Trond Isaksen Norén commented: ‘It is not at all positive for the royal family’s reputation.

‘The King has decided that Høiby is an official member of the royal family, thus this is the first time a member of the royal family has been charged. That says something about the seriousness,’ he told NTB.

Borg Høiby faces preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage, and could face up to a year in prison.

Police had previously confirmed the alleged victim was in a ‘relationship’ with the motorcycle mechanic, according to reports.

EX GIRLFRIEND CLAIMS SHE WAS ‘SUBJECTED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE’ 

The case took on an even darker flavour earlier this week when Hoiby’s ex-partner, model Juliane Snekkestad, 29, released her own statement about it on Instagram, claiming to have been ‘subjected to psychological and physical violence by the person in question’ while they were dating.

Sharing a post on her Instagram Stories, the model said: ‘I now no longer choose to remain silent… This has happened before. And this must be stopped now.’

Following news of his arrest, his ex girlfriend Juliane, wrote on her social media account: ‘The last few days have been strange and painful. In the last week I have received a lot of phone calls; messages… regarding my ex’s order.

‘First, I would like to send warm thoughts to those affected by the case. Although the closest family and friends have known about this, I now no longer choose to remain silent. Because I actually can’t keep silent any longer.

‘And to answer the clues: Yes. I have previously been subjected to psychological and physical violence by the person in question. Where the psychological violence was most brutal for me. 

‘I’m not sharing this because I want pity… Or to put the focus on me… This has happened before. And this must be stopped now,’ her statement read, when translated from Norwegian to English. 

EX GIRLFRIEND POSES WITH ‘WHITE POWDER’

Nora Haukland, 27, who found fame after winning Norway’s Love Island in 2020, started dating Borg Høiby for just over a year before going their separate ways last summer.

But she caused scandal when appearing to hold a bag of ‘white powder’ in a photograph of her posted to Instagram by friend and fellow reality star Sophie Elise Isachsen.

Shared in February 2023, the snap showed the two pals posing up a storm in stylish outfits, with the caption: ‘Life is a billion times more fun when you don’t care about anything.’

But the party snap backfired after fans spotted Nora holding a bag in her left hand, which seemed to contain white powder. 

Speculation quickly began over whether the powder was actually cocaine, according to Bild.

The photo was quickly deleted from the friend’s profile, however Norwegian media shared the snap afterwards – while Borg Høiby and his then girlfriend apparently fled to Barbados.

‘I have spent the last few weeks trying to sort things out with the people I love and work with. The photo should never have been published, I don’t want to romanticize anything, and I am terribly sorry,’ Nora’s friend Sophie said amid the scandal.

Nora met Borg Høiby at a party in April 2022 and half a year later, their relationship became public.

Following his arrest, the ex girlfriend shared a cryptic message on her Snapchat, in which she said: ‘My head is very chaotic, it’s up and down, and I’ve felt every possible emotion in the last few hours.’ 

Nora started her message on the social media app with: ‘Hello guys… What to say… It’s been a strange few hours.

‘I don’t have much to say right now,’ added the influencer before speaking about her ‘very chaotic’ mind, according to Se og Hør.

ROYAL COUPLE DEFENDED SON’S PHOT-SHARING AMID ACCUSATIONS OF ‘SECURITY CONCERNS’

In 2012, Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit took the rare step of writing an open letter to a Norwegian newspaper which claimed Borg Høiby’s public use of Instagram posed a security risk.

However, the royal couple claimed it was ‘difficult to see’ how the then teenager, who was aged just 15 at the time, had caused an issue by uploading pictures and the family’s locations to social media, reported Hello!. 

They said the story, published by Norwegian tabloid newspaper VG, was ‘speculative, over-dimensioned and without substance at the cost of a child of 15 years’.

They added: ‘We react strongly that you are exposing our child in this manner. For us, it’s very important to shield our children against an undisciplined public spotlight because we believe it can be a heavy burden and damaging. All children have a right to be protected against that.’

The duo also noted that their official engagements are announced 14 days ahead of time, and are easily available to the public. 

 ‘The programs are often detailed down to the minute and the place,’ they said. ‘This is a security risk we live with every day, every year, an entire life.’ 

‘It is often known where we’ll be’, they added, noting how the family’s location could also be discovered on the official website for Norway’s royal family.

The parents also insisted that the teenager’s use of social media was modest, ‘compared to most 15-year-olds’, they said in their letter. 

The newpaper’s original report quoted terror expert Magnus Ranstorp, who criticised the police for allowing Borg Høib to share the information on his public Instagram account.

He had been posting the information from his phone for 42 weeks before the newspaper ran the story. His account was locked for a while after the drama.

ANNOUNCED HE WAS STEPPING AWAY FROM PUBLIC LIFE

Growing up, Borg Høiby made public appearances with his mother, stepfather and half sister Ingrid Alexandra (who is the future queen of Norway) and half brother Prince Sverre Magnus on occasions such as national day.

However, when he turned 20 the royal court announced he was stepping away from public life and his profile was removed from the family’s official website.

‘Høiby will not conduct any official activities on the Royal Family’s behalf,’ a statement said, ‘on the basis of his wish to live outside the public eye.’

His mother Crown Princess Mette-Marit also published an open letter on the court website, saying: ‘Marius is, and will continue to be, a vital member of our family. He has always had a public role that has been very difficult to define.

‘Unlike his siblings, he has no official duties. He won’t have a public role and is not a public person. Marius became a symbol for the unusual choice we made when we married.’

Norway’s future queen made headlines in 2001 when she married Haakon, because she was a single mother who had lived a freewheeling life with a companion who had been convicted on drug charges.