this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2026
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Norway’s crown princess has become embroiled in another scandal after newly unsealed files appeared to show her years of extensive contact with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The latest tranche of Epstein files, released on Friday by the US justice department, appear to include nearly 1,000 mentions of the crown princess, Mette-Marit.

The files include scores of emails traded between the two, suggesting they were in contact from 2011 to 2014, the Norwegian daily VG reported. Mette-Marit married the future king of Norway in 2001.

The revelations come at a sensitive time for the royal family. The trial of Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby for rape is due to begin on Tuesday. He was born from a relationship before she married Crown Prince Haakon

Høiby is facing 38 charges, including the alleged rape of four women as well as alleged assault and drug offences. If convicted he could face up to 16 years in prison. Høiby has denied the most serious charges, including those of sexual abuse.

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[–] Ardyssian@sh.itjust.works 18 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

How can one man be so infuriatingly involved in so much corruption globally? I just want to live in peace, urgh

[–] duelistsage@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 hours ago

The world really is run by a cabal of pedophiles.

Who knew

[–] lmagitem@lemmy.zip 5 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

That is good for your goal to live in peace if we take it seriously though. Catching so many corrupt and vile people at the same time is a great thing.

[–] Ardyssian@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Fair point, but I have my doubts we'll take it seriously, considering our collective response so far to world altering events such as Climate Change, Panama Papers, etc.

[–] possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Mossad wants dirt on everyone

[–] Alaknar@sopuli.xyz 1 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

But not russians?

The only russians to pop up in the files are informants or business partners, nothing else.

There is, however, quite a bit of dirt on various Israelites.

[–] SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world 4 points 14 hours ago

They've released less than 1% of the files. Still plenty of things we have yet to see.

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 18 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I've heard that this is so bad that it might be the end of the royal family in Norway.

Damn, I wish! I'm against all kinds of kings.

[–] Alaknar@sopuli.xyz -3 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Why?

They have decorational value, nothing else.

[–] Royy@lemmy.world 8 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Imagine you have some decorational vases on your mantle. They cost you an extraordinary amount of money each year, but you like them and they're family heirlooms. But then one vase starts spewing the most insane conspiracy theories that make everyone uncomfortable, one shills dangerous health advice for money (despite you paying its salary), one is facing multiple accusations of sexual assault, and has been indicted for rape, and one it turns out is heavily in the Epstein files. Would you reconsider if those vases were worth paying a ton of money every year that could be used to better yourself or others?

[–] Alaknar@sopuli.xyz -3 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, yeah, these specific vases have to go, but I wouldn't reconsider the idea of having vases based off of that.

[–] Royy@lemmy.world 6 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

No? You're saying you wouldn't even consider spending the exorbitant amount of money it cost to maintain those purely decorational vases on something else? Like saving for your retirement or your kid's retirement, setting up community gardens, beefing up your home security, funding medical research, etc?

[–] Alaknar@sopuli.xyz 0 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

No? You’re saying you wouldn’t even consider spending the exorbitant amount of money it cost to maintain those purely decorational vases on something else?

Well, I like vases. People like vases. Some vases being shitty doesn't make ALL vases shitty.

And let's not pretend like the "royal whatnot" upkeep is a major amount of money on a country's scale. Sure, looking at it itself it seems like a lot, but removing, for example, the UK royal family in its entirety wouldn't even be noticeable in the overall budget. They cost UK taxpayers around £510 million, whereas the 2025 budget spending was £1,244.9 billion. You'd lower it to £1,244.4 billion. That's peanuts.

The issue - on that scale - isn't the funding itself, it's that the overall spending of taxpayer money is extremely inefficient.

[–] Royy@lemmy.world 3 points 12 hours ago

Thank you for partaking in this conversation in good faith. This is a good conversation.

That being said, I absolutely hate that attitude. When you look at it as a percentage of annual spending you are right. When you look at it per capita you're right, for the UK it's only £7 per person if my math is right.

That perspective is an extremely privileged one. How many lives could be saved every year with that money? How much good could be done?

We agree that the overall spending and allocation of taxpayer money is inefficient. The difference that I see in this conversation is that you're throwing up your hands and saying "the problem is too big, welp better not do anything about it", while I'm saying "This is a great step in the right direction that can help people now".

Can you give me some reasons to keep the royal family, rather than reasons not to get rid of it?

[–] 5715@feddit.org 9 points 21 hours ago (4 children)

How can "the most democratic country" have a monarchy?

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 7 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

The US doesn't have a monarchy, but we ended up with a king anyway.

[–] 5715@feddit.org 2 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

What has the US to do with this?

[–] Viceversa@lemmy.world 4 points 14 hours ago
[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 0 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

To point out that having a democracy and not having a monarchy doesn't mean much, practically speaking.

[–] 5715@feddit.org 2 points 11 hours ago

Yeah, it's the respect to the right constitution that makes or breaks it

[–] bluesheep@sh.itjust.works 14 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Probably for the same reason we still have one in the Netherlands, where a large part of the country can't comprehend abolishing the monarchy because "it's tradition" or "because they do important diplomatic work" (ie brown-nosing other politicians for an idioticly high salary)

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

Ik vondt de enige gechillte Nederlander ;) Groeten vanuit Duitsland! (Grapje, ik weet dat niet iedereen Rutte of Wilders in het achterste wil neuken)

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 6 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I'm guessing it's like the UK where they have a monarchy but they don't actually have any real power.

Well, aside from the usual rich person power of being able to commit all sorts of crimes and get away with it.

[–] 5715@feddit.org 4 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Powerful or not, inherited leadership is undemocratic.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 4 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Wait until you find out about hereditary peers...

[–] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 5 points 14 hours ago

Not even just the hereditary peers - there are also the 26 Anglican bishops, and the politically appointed lords, eg Mandelson. Senators for life, basically.

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 4 points 19 hours ago

Tradition is a hell of a thing

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The fact that Mette-Marit was a single mother and the fact that Høiby's father was a convicted felon created controversy. TV 2 later wrote that "merely by existing, Marius Borg Høiby was seen by many as a scandal for the royal family."

He sure lived up to their expectations. Well cheer up guys, at least he can use your tax money to hire himself the best lawyer available.

[–] kalistia@sh.itjust.works 35 points 1 day ago
[–] Deestan@lemmy.world 249 points 2 days ago (31 children)

The movement to get rid of the parasitic monarchy in Norway got a lot of traction this week, so that is nice.

There is an actual hearing in Parliament this tuesday about abolishing the monarchy. Not caused by this but happily strengthened.

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[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 128 points 2 days ago (5 children)

I was told that royal families are all ceremonial and that they don't have any real power, but we keep finding them embroiled with people who have real power.

Really makes you think.

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[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 79 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Sounds like the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 33 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A lifetime of living without consequence where your every whim is met creates dangerously broken people

[–] mudstickmcgee@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

What happened here is actually worse somehow. Mette marit was a "commoner" known on her circles as a fun party/rave girl. The usual drugs included. She had a son (Marius) with someone from that walk of life. He had the chance to turn 8 or 9 i think before having the title of "royalty" thrust uppon him at the same time his single mother got swept away on all sorts of royal adventures.

Not hard at all to see how that can fuck you up royally.

Edit: just remembered she had a sextape from the good old days, and since it was only of interest to us Norwegians and the internett wasn't as big as it is now they've managed to scrub it. Or that might just have been rumors, but I'm like 80% sure i saw it at one of the early 2000's LAN parties.

[–] ComradePenguin@lemmy.ml 50 points 2 days ago (2 children)

He was first sentenced in 2008..

[–] midas22@lemmy.wtf 3 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

That part is the most insane to me. She actually looked up Epstein's past after he had just signed that plea deal for child prostitution in 2011 and then replied with a smiley... And then called him "soft hearted", "sweetheart" and "very charming" and used him as a mentor for how to raise her son. That is beyond poor judgment.

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[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 16 points 1 day ago

all the NONCE kings and princes had ties with epsteins MS kung fu master.

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