Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has issued an apology after newly unsealed documents revealed years of contact with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The files, released by the US justice department, reportedly include hundreds of email exchanges between the princess and Epstein, spanning from 2011 to 2014.
In a statement released by the royal palace, Mette-Marit said she showed “poor judgment” and deeply regretted any contact with Epstein. “It is simply embarrassing,” she said, expressing “deep sympathy and solidarity” with Epstein’s victims. She added that she took responsibility for not checking his background more closely.
The emails, reported by Norwegian daily VG, show the pair discussing personal matters. In one 2012 message, Mette-Marit asked Epstein if it was “inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15 yr old sons wallpaper?” In another, she called him “soft hearted” and “such a sweetheart”. The files also indicate she stayed at his Florida home in 2013 while he was away.
The revelation comes as her son, Marius Borg Høiby, faces trial for multiple charges including rape. Høiby, who has denied the most serious allegations, could face up to 16 years in prison. The royal couple are not expected to attend the trial.
