Norway’s Crown Princess Speaks Out About Jeffrey Epstein Encounter
A Royal Reckoning With a Dark Past
In a rare and candid 20-minute interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Thursday, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway opened up about her troubling connection to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The princess, who is married to Crown Prince Haakon, revealed that she felt deeply unsafe during a 2013 encounter with Epstein at his Palm Beach, Florida mansion, and expressed how she had been manipulated and deceived by the disgraced financier. While the interview did not contain any bombshell revelations, it marked the first time the royal couple had sat down with journalists to directly address the controversy surrounding Mette-Marit’s relationship with Epstein. The princess has faced significant scrutiny over her judgment in maintaining contact with Epstein, though she has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing herself. The timing of the interview was particularly significant, as it took place on the same day that the criminal trial of her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, concluded, with prosecutors seeking a sentence of seven years and seven months on various charges, including rape allegations which he denies.
The Timeline of a Troubling Association
Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein began in 2011 and continued through 2014, a period during which the financier’s criminal behavior was becoming increasingly known to the public, though he had not yet faced his final arrest. The relationship has been extensively documented in what became known as the “Epstein files,” which contain several hundred mentions of the Norwegian royal. These documents revealed email exchanges between the two that some observers interpreted as indicating a close friendship. The messages showed a level of familiarity that raised eyebrows, with Mette-Marit writing to Epstein at one point, “You tickle my brain.” In another exchange from October 2012, when Epstein joked that he was in Paris “on my wife hunt,” the princess responded that while Paris was “good for adultery,” Scandinavians were “better wife material.” These communications have been scrutinized for what they reveal about the nature of their relationship and the princess’s awareness of Epstein’s character and activities.
A Frightening Visit to Palm Beach
The most disturbing revelation from the NRK interview concerned a visit Mette-Marit made to an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2013. According to the email records, the princess borrowed the property for several days, an arrangement she says was made through a mutual friend. It was during this stay that an incident occurred that left her feeling so unsafe that she felt compelled to call Crown Prince Haakon back home in Norway. While the princess declined to elaborate on the specific details of what transpired during this encounter, her willingness to characterize it as making her feel unsafe speaks volumes about the nature of the experience. This revelation raises questions about why, after such a disturbing incident, Mette-Marit continued to maintain contact with Epstein into 2014. The princess addressed this apparent contradiction by stating that she had been gullible and had been manipulated by Epstein, suggesting that he was skilled at maintaining relationships even after concerning incidents. This pattern of behavior is consistent with what many experts on predatory individuals have described—the ability to manipulate, control, and maintain relationships through various psychological tactics.
Apologies and Acknowledgment of Responsibility
Mette-Marit has been forthright in her apologies regarding the situation, acknowledging the embarrassment and difficulty her association with Epstein has caused for the Norwegian royal family. She first publicly expressed regret over her contact with Epstein in 2019, the same year he died by suicide while awaiting trial on federal charges of sexually abusing underage girls at his homes in the United States and elsewhere. In the recent NRK interview, the princess expanded on these earlier statements, expressing not only personal regret but also a profound sense of guilt toward Epstein’s victims. She emphasized that she has spent years processing their relationship and coming to terms with the allegations against him. The 52-year-old royal took responsibility for failing to properly research Epstein’s background before establishing and maintaining a relationship with him, stating, “It is extremely important for me to acknowledge that I did not look into his past more carefully, and also to acknowledge that I was manipulated and deceived to such an extent.” She also made clear her position that she should not be the focus of sympathy, declaring, “I’m not the one to feel sorry for. It’s all the victims who’ve been subjected to these serious abuses who deserve justice.”
What the Princess Knew and When
One of the key questions surrounding Mette-Marit’s relationship with Epstein concerns what she knew about his criminal behavior and when she knew it. In the NRK interview, the princess stated that she was unaware that Epstein was a sex offender and abuser during the time she was in contact with him. She explained that she only saw him interact with adults and never personally witnessed anything illegal. This claim is significant because Epstein had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008, several years before Mette-Marit first met him in 2011. However, it’s worth noting that the details of Epstein’s crimes were not as widely known in the early 2010s as they became later in the decade, particularly after investigative journalism brought renewed attention to his activities. The princess’s statement that she failed to research his background more thoroughly suggests that information about his past conviction was available but that she did not seek it out. This raises broader questions about the due diligence that public figures, particularly members of royal families, should undertake before establishing relationships with individuals who might pose reputational risks.
Moving Forward Under Multiple Pressures
The timing of this interview reveals the multiple pressures currently facing the Norwegian royal family. Beyond dealing with the fallout from the Epstein connection, Crown Princess Mette-Marit is also managing serious health challenges, having been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that causes severe breathing problems and significantly impacts her daily life. The interview was kept to 20 minutes specifically due to these health concerns. Additionally, the family is dealing with the legal troubles of Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon. The conclusion of his trial, with prosecutors seeking a substantial prison sentence on serious charges including rape (which he denies), adds another layer of stress and public scrutiny to the royal family. A verdict in that case is expected in early June, which means the family will continue to be in the spotlight for the foreseeable future. Despite these challenges, Mette-Marit’s decision to address the Epstein situation directly represents an attempt to take control of the narrative and demonstrate accountability. By expressing her regret, acknowledging her mistakes in judgment, and centering the experiences of Epstein’s victims rather than her own discomfort, the princess has attempted to show the kind of responsibility expected of someone in her position, even while acknowledging that no apology can undo the poor judgment she showed in maintaining the relationship.
