Princess Mette-Marit: How is Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit linked to Jeffrey Epstein? All about the Royal controversy | – The Times of India

In a recent interview broadcast by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, Mette‑Marit addressed these links directly for the first time. She admitted she should have been more careful and said she feels manipulated by Epstein. “I feel so manipulated, and when you are manipulated, you don’t realize it from the start,” she said, explaining that she now takes responsibility for not checking his background more thoroughly. “Of course I wish I had never met him,” she added, stressing that Epstein’s victims are the ones who truly deserve justice and attention.

Emails, excuses, and a damaged reputation

The leaked documents reportedly mention Mette‑Marit nearly 1,000 times in personal email exchanges between 2011 and 2014. One of the most discussed messages comes from October 2011, when she wrote, “Googled you after the previous email. Agreed, it didn’t look good :).” When asked to explain this line, she said she no longer remembers the context and has spent a lot of time trying to understand it herself. “If I had found information that made me realise he was an abuser and sex offender, I wouldn’t have written a smiley face,” she said.Among other peculiar exchanges, Mette‑Marit once asked whether it was “inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15‑year‑old son’s wallpaper?” The royal palace later issued a statement in which she acknowledged “poor judgment” and expressed “deep regret” for having any contact with Epstein, but beyond that, she largely stayed out of the spotlight—until this NRK interview.

A painful backdrop: health struggles and family turmoil

The timing of the interview added another layer of emotional weight. It was filmed on the final day of the trial of her son, Marius Borg Høiby, who could face more than seven years in prison if convicted on 39 charges, including four rapes—a case he denies. The crown princess opened up about the strain this has placed on her family, describing herself as “the mother of a young man who has been in a very demanding situation.” She also spoke about her own health, explaining that she lives with pulmonary fibrosis and is in need of a lung transplant. “I need a lot of rest,” she said, adding that her condition has worsened over time.Against this backdrop, her admission that she shared a “friendly relationship” with Epstein and that he was “a friend of a friend of mine, first and foremost” flows awkwardly through the same breath as her denial of any intimacy. It’s a collision of public shock, private grief, and the kind of personal hindsight that can feel heavy and complicated.

Who is Mette‑Marit beyond the scandal?

Beyond the controversy, Mette‑Marit Tjessem Høiby’s life story carries far more depth than the Epstein narrative suggests. She grew up in Vågsbygd, Kristiansand, as the youngest of four siblings, the daughter of Marit Tjessem and Sven Olaf Bjarte Høiby. She is now the mother of three children with Crown Prince Haakon: Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and Prince Sverre Magnus.Her journey into royal life began with her engagement announcement in December 2000, followed by the wedding at Oslo Cathedral on 25 August 2001. The family later moved to Skaugum Estate in Asker in 2003. Mette‑Marit has also pursued education and advocacy, including studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, where she focused on development, HIV/AIDS, and the global refugee crisis. She later spent three months as an observer at Norad, and in the late 2000s began studying part‑time at BI Norwegian School of Management, completing a Master of Management in 2012.Outside of official duties, she enjoys reading, the arts, and spending time in nature—interests that paint a picture of someone who once represented a blend of modernity, compassion, and quiet curiosity. Yet now, as the Epstein files and her own candid words play out before the public, her story has become a painful mix of public scrutiny, personal reflection, and the fragile tension between a person’s past decisions and the values her country once hoped she would represent.