Marius Borg Høiby was allowed to leave house arrest on Monday, 31 August, to join the procession carrying the coffin of Norway’s late King Harald V through the Royal Palace in Oslo.
Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Queen Mette-Marit from a previous relationship, walked behind the coffin alongside members of the royal family. He was wearing an electronic ankle monitor after being convicted of two counts of rape and 32 other offences.
Prosecutors authorised his attendance despite the four-year prison sentence imposed in June. The verdict has not yet become final, with Høiby having pleaded not guilty to the most serious charges and retaining the right to appeal.
His appearance placed him among King Harald’s family as the coffin was moved from the palace’s Red Salon to the Palace Chapel, where the late monarch will lie in state. Høiby was pictured near his stepfather, the newly installed King Haakon VIII, and his stepbrother, Prince Sverre Magnus.
Queen Mette-Marit took part in the sombre ceremony in her first official appearance since her husband became king. She and Queen Sonja, Harald’s widow, held hands as they walked behind the coffin.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who is now crown princess and heir to the Norwegian throne, also joined the procession.
Høiby’s presence prompted criticism from some royal watchers on social media, with one user describing it as “wrong” and saying the royal family appeared to be publicly standing by him.
King Harald died aged 89 on Friday, 28 August, at Oslo University Hospital, according to the Norwegian Royal Court. His son succeeded him immediately under the country’s constitutional monarchy, without a coronation.
King Haakon pays tribute to his father
In his first address to the nation as sovereign, King Haakon spoke of Harald as a warm and affectionate father, saying he would miss his laughter and “good-natured way to meet people and situations”.
He also marked what would have been his parents’ 58th wedding anniversary, telling Queen Sonja: “Congratulations on your wedding anniversary, dear Mummy.” His voice briefly faltered as he paid tribute to her.
Haakon is due to take his oath to Norway’s constitution in parliament on Tuesday. The state funeral will take place on Wednesday, 9 September, with the coffin carried from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral before a private ceremony at Akershus Castle Church.
The new king’s accession comes as the royal household faces scrutiny over Høiby’s conviction and continuing concerns about Queen Mette-Marit’s health. She was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018 and underwent a lung transplant in June.
