The relationship of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (later queen) with the American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has become a major scandal for the Norwegian royal family. The pair were introduced in 2011 and maintained close contact until 2014. Media first reported on the relationship in 2019 in the context of the indictment against Epstein in 2019. At the time Mette-Marit minimized the contact, claimed a lack of knowledge of his crimes, and claimed to have broken off contact in 2013, a claim later disproven.
In 2026, the newly released Epstein files showed extensive contact between Mette-Marit and Epstein over several years, and that she is mentioned over a thousand times in the released files. The Epstein files were released days before the trial of Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby on charges of rape. The files revealed that Mette-Marit admitted to Epstein that she had googled him and that the results "didn't look good" already in 2011, the year they first met.
In exchanges from 2012 and 2013, Mette-Marit repeatedly discussed how she was "dying of boredom" over royal duties, discussed adultery, the work of Vladimir Nabokov, and pictures of naked women she wanted to give to her then 15-year-old son Marius Borg Høiby as a wallpaper; they further discussed Epstein's "wife hunting" and dating of multiple young women, she suggested Epstein connect with Scandinavian women, asked him about "island life" and whether he enjoyed "sweetness", and they exchanged deeply intimate and personal messages about love and longing. She also wrote emotional letters to Epstein about an unnamed man, writing about how she met him and how "he made me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth." Mette-Marit and Epstein met several times, and she stayed in Epstein's later-demolished mansion in Palm Beach as late as 2013.
The case triggered debate over Mette-Marit's public role and whether she could become queen, as opinion polls and commentators argued that her position as future queen was untenable. Several organizations started processes to strip her of her patronages. Corruption expert Eva Joly said it's very hard to see how Mette-Marit would be acceptable as queen, and that "Mette-Marit has stayed in the house where two thousand girls were sexually abused." Experts stated that the scandals involving the royal family's conduct increasingly undermine its role as a representative of the Norwegian state abroad.
Background Norwegian media first reported on the relationship between Mette-Marit and Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 in the context of the relationship of then-Prince Andrew and Epstein. Epstein was convicted of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. This is a sexual offense under Florida law. He was required to register as a sex offender in 2008. In 2011, Mette-Marit entered into a close friendship with Epstein and stayed in close contact until 2014, although she wrote already in 2011 that she knew of Epstein's past.
Norway has been highlighted by international media as a country with particularly extensive connections to the Epstein affair. ABC News reported that "few countries have been as roiled by the Epstein revelations as Norway." Mette-Marit, former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland and former diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen are the three most frequently referenced Norwegians with close ties to Epstein. Both Jagland and Rød-Larsen are under investigation for corruption.
History Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (née Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby) maintained a close friendship with the American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014. At the time she entered into a friendship with Epstein, Norwegian media had reported extensively on Epstein's conviction for child sexual abuse in 2008 and referred to him as a "convicted pedophile."
Norwegian and international media first reported on her ties to Epstein in 2019. At the time it was reported that she met him several times between 2011 and 2013, after his conviction on charges of sex trafficking of minors in 2008 and release from prison.Deres kongelige lukkethet , Dagbladet Her friendship with Epstein was revealed by Norwegian media in the context of the scandal involving then-Prince Andrew, who in that year resigned from all public roles over his longstanding ties to Epstein and allegations of sexual abuse. Mette-Marit minimized the extent of her contact with Epstein, stating that Epstein was "responsible for his own actions." The Royal Palace's communications manager Guri Varpe asserted that she had ceased contact with Epstein in 2013, a claim that was since disproven by the release of the Epstein files.
While Mette-Marit was in frequent communication with Epstein and met him many times, her husband Crown Prince Haakon reportedly only met him once at St. Barts. In 2026, newly released Epstein files showed extensive contact between Mette-Marit and Epstein over several years, and that she is mentioned over a thousand times in the released files. The correspondence showed that Epstein sought to arrange cosmetic procedures for Mette-Marit, whom he addressed as "Mette," in Palm Beach. The files also show that Mette-Marit stayed with Epstein in his Palm Beach home for several days in 2013, while inviting each other to have dinner or go shopping together. Mette-Marit brought her personal "guru" to stay with her in the villa where Epstein sexually abused young girls. Norwegian media published a picture of Mette-Marit sitting next to half naked young woman in a bikini in Epstein's house. The Epstein files also revealed that Mette-Marit had maintained contact with Epstein as late as 2014, eight years after his conviction for child sexual abuse, despite having insisted she ceased all contact a year earlier.
Norwegian media said the Epstein files paint a totally different picture of Mette-Marit's relationship with Epstein than previous revelations or her own claims. In 2012 Mette-Marit wrote to Epstein: "You tickle my brain." In other exchanges she writes "you make me smile," "what do you have to do besides seeing me?" and asks questions like "how is island life," referring to Little Saint James where he abused young girls. In one of her emails to Epstein from 2011, Mette-Marit admitted that she had googled him and that "it didn't look good", but she continued to maintain her contact with him for another three years. She wrote in her email to Epstein in 2011: "... Googled u after last email [.] Agree it didn't look good :)". Norwegian media reported that Wikipedia, as the first Google result, at the time described him as "a convicted sex offender" convicted of "soliciting an underage girl for prostitution", who "remains under investigation by the FBI over allegations of involvement with underage girls and for money laundering."
One year after admitting she had googled him and learned about his past, Mette-Marit suggested Epstein connect with Scandinavian women and writing "Paris is good for infidelity. Scandinavians make better wife material." They discussed Epstein being with two young Norwegian women nearly forty years his junior at the time. In another exchange, Mette-Marit wrote to Epstein: "come and save us. I die of boredom" while she is representing the royal family. She referred to Epstein as "such a sweetheart." On another occasion, Mette-Marit asked Epstein about pictures of "naked women" she wanted to suggest as wallpaper to her then 15-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby. Mette-Marit and Epstein also discussed the work of Vladimir Nabokov, the author of Lolita, with Mette-Marit asking Epstein: "Did u enjoy sweetness?" Even as the conversations between Epstein and Mette-Marit had a flirtatious and intimate tone, Epstein made disparaging statements about her behind her back to other people. In one e-mail Epstein wrote to his associate Boris Nikolić that "Mette is a mess", to which Nikolić replied by asking what had happened to Mette and if she wanted to carry Epstein's child.
In 2015 Mette-Marit, Haakon, Marius Borg Høiby, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus went on a week-long free vacation on a yacht owned by a close associate of Epstein, Terry Taylor, who appears several times in the Epstein files. Despite criticism at the time, she refused to answer questions and said she preferred to focus on her own family. The files revealed that Epstein had taken photographs of Mette-Marit. A former assistant of Epstein told Aftenposten that the purpose of the pictures was to lure new victims by showing how he associated with famous people. In a statement to broadcaster NRK, Mette-Marit said: "I deeply regret that, and this is a responsibility I must take. I showed poor judgment and regret having any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing." However she refused to explain what she knew about Epstein in 2011 after she had googled him and told him it didn't look good, her spokesperson stating "we have nothing further to add."
Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten noted that the British royal house had taken steps against Prince Andrew, and asked if the Norwegian royal court had taken any kind of steps since becoming aware of Mette-Marit's ties to Epstein. Guri Varpe, the royal court's communications manager, insisted "we have nothing further to add." On the same day that the deadline set by the U.S. Congress for the release of the Epstein files expired, Mette-Marit stated that her lung illness had worsened and that she was being "prepared" for a possible future transplant, although she was not put on the transplantation list at the time. The Royal Court declined to answer questions about the timing of the announcement. On 5 February, Norwegian media reported that Mette-Marit had lied about the circumstances of her meeting with Jeffrey Epstein in Saint Barthélemy. An official statement had said the encounter was a chance meeting on the street, but media outlets cited communications showing it had been planned in advance. They further suggested that Mette-Marit had knowingly misled her staff, including her spokesperson, Guri Varpe, who had repeated the false account.
Reactions Royal historian said that Mette-Marit had lent Epstein royal legitimacy. The 2026 Epstein files were released days before the trial of Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby on charges of rape, compounding the scandal for the royal family. Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he shares the view that Mette-Marit has demonstrated a lack of judgement. Støre later said he expects Mette-Marit to fully disclose the extent of her relationship with Epstein.
Norwegian media and commentators, including Kjetil B. Alstadheim, the political editor of Norway's largest newspaper, Aftenposten, and sociologist Trond Blindheim, questioned if Mette-Marit can be part of the royal house and become queen. Additional public figures, including politician Simen Bondevik, voiced the view that Mette-Marit is not suited to be queen of Norway. Royal commentator Tove Taalesen said it has become impossible for Mette-Marit to be queen, and suggested that a solution may be for Mette-Marit to lose her official title and withdraw from public life, similarly to former prince Andrew, and become the private citizen Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, even if her husband continues as crown prince or king.
Corruption expert Eva Joly said it's very hard to see how Mette-Marit would be acceptable as queen, and that "Mette-Marit has stayed in the house where two thousand girls were sexually abused."