Documents released on Friday reportedly contain nearly 1,000 references to the crown princess, including numerous emails exchanged between 2011 and 2014, according to Norwegian daily VG. Mette-Marit, who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, acknowledged the contact and expressed regret.
The revelations come at a particularly sensitive moment for the Norwegian royal family, just days before the start of the rape trial of Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, from a previous relationship. His trial is due to begin on Tuesday in Oslo.
Høiby faces 38 charges, including the alleged rape of four women, as well as accusations of assault and drug-related offences. He denies the most serious allegations and could face up to 16 years in prison if convicted.
In a statement issued by the royal palace on Saturday, Mette-Marit said she had shown “poor judgment” and described her contact with Epstein as “deeply regrettable”. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.
The newly released files include emails suggesting a close and friendly relationship, with references to planned meetings and a four-day stay by the princess at Epstein’s home in Palm Beach in 2013, when he was reportedly not present. The documents do not allege criminal wrongdoing by Mette-Marit.
In her statement, the 52-year-old crown princess expressed sympathy for Epstein’s victims and accepted responsibility for failing to scrutinise his background more carefully. The royal palace said she ended all written contact in 2014 after becoming concerned that Epstein was attempting to use their association for influence.
The Norwegian royal couple are not expected to attend Høiby’s seven-week trial. Crown Prince Haakon has said that Mette-Marit will be on a private trip during that period.
