Marius Borg Høiby appeared to be kept at arm’s length by Queen Sonja during the funeral of her late husband, King Harald V, at Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old, who has no royal title or official duties, attended the service alongside his mother, Queen Mette-Marit, his stepfather King Haakon VIII and his half-siblings Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
But Høiby was seated behind the senior members of the family, alongside his step-aunt Princess Märtha Louise and her daughters, rather than in the row with his mother, the new king and his children.
Footage shared online appeared to show Queen Sonja greeting and embracing Märtha Louise’s daughters before turning towards Høiby. As he approached, the 89-year-old queen began speaking to the Bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver, instead of greeting him directly.
It is not clear from the brief clip whether Queen Sonja and Høiby exchanged a private greeting away from the cameras. The bishop also appeared serious as she met him on the cathedral steps before the service.
Marius Borg Høiby attends King Harald’s funeral
Høiby’s presence at the funeral came despite his conviction in June for two counts of rape. He was sentenced by Oslo District Court to four years in prison after a trial which also examined allegations of violence, drug misuse and other offences.
He denied the rape allegations and is appealing the conviction. While the appeal proceeds, he has been allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest at the family’s Skaugum estate.
The court also found Høiby guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend, issuing threats and a series of traffic offences. He was acquitted of two other rape charges.
The case has marked a dramatic fall for Høiby, who became closely associated with Norway’s royal family after his mother married the then Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, when he was four. Although he is not a member of the Royal House of Norway, he was brought up alongside the future king’s children.
King Haakon previously said that Høiby was “an important member of our family”, while stressing that he was not a working royal and had no official position.
“He is a citizen of Norway and, as such, has the same responsibilities as everyone else – as well as the same rights,” the king said before the trial.
Høiby had also taken part in an earlier ceremony for King Harald, joining members of the family to carry the late monarch’s coffin from the Royal Palace to the palace chapel. His inclusion prompted criticism from some royal commentators and members of the public.
At Wednesday’s funeral, the coffin was carried in procession from the palace to Oslo Cathedral, led by King Haakon, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Märtha Louise.
Queen Sonja and Queen Mette-Marit travelled behind the coffin in a car. A 21-gun salute was fired as the procession began, while crowds gathered in Oslo to pay tribute to Harald, who reigned for 35 years before his death aged 89 on 28 August.
The service was attended by foreign royals and political leaders, including Prince William, Princess Anne, King Felipe of Spain, Queen Rania of Jordan and Princess Charlene of Monaco.
Following the service, King Harald’s coffin was taken to the palace chapel at Akershus Castle for a private ceremony before being lowered into the royal crypt.
