Norwegian Prime Minister Condemns Crown Princess Over Epstein Email Exchanges
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has publicly criticised Crown Princess Mette-Marit for demonstrating what he described as 'poor judgement' in her relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The condemnation follows the release of thousands of pages of documents by the US justice department, which reveal extensive email correspondence between the crown princess and Epstein.
Revelations From the Epstein Files
The latest tranche of the Epstein files, comprising approximately 3.5 million pages, shows that Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Epstein exchanged dozens of emails between 2011 and 2014. This directly contradicts previous statements from the Norwegian royal family, which had claimed contact ceased in 2013. Norwegian media outlet VG reported that the emails include a June 2014 exchange where Epstein asks: 'do i get to see you in ny [New York]', to which the crown princess replies that she believes 'Tuesday will work'.
Further disclosures indicate that Mette-Marit spent four days at Epstein's Palm Beach, Miami residence in January 2013. Additional emails from her account show discussions about interior design and imply awareness of Epstein's initial 2008 jail term, despite subsequent contacts.
Official Responses and Statements
In response to the revelations, Crown Princess Mette-Marit issued a statement acknowledging her error. 'I showed poor judgement and regret having any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing,' she stated. The princess expressed 'deep sympathy and solidarity with the victims of the abuses committed by Jeffrey Epstein' and accepted personal responsibility for not investigating Epstein's background more thoroughly.
Prime Minister Støre, speaking to VG, emphasised that those mentioned in the files should provide clear explanations. 'Here you can tell the extent of the contacts that have taken place. They should clarify the matter. I expect them to do so,' he asserted, calling for the crown princess to 'comment on the truth about what happened'.
Royal Family's Revised Timeline
The Norwegian royal palace has admitted to previously providing inaccurate information regarding the timeline of Mette-Marit's relationship with Epstein. A communications manager conceded to VG: 'Unfortunately, we remembered the exact time of this a little incorrectly in the previous round.' This admission adds to the scrutiny facing the royal household.
This scandal emerges concurrently with another high-profile case involving the royal family. The crown princess's son, Marius Borg Høiby, is scheduled to begin a seven-week trial on 38 charges, including rape and assault, highlighting a period of significant public attention on Norway's monarchy.
