The Royal Family of Norway is currently navigating a turbulent period marked by health setbacks for the King and the Crown Princess, the legal conviction of a family member, and now a fresh public relations blunder. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit celebrated their milestone wedding anniversary on Tuesday, with the Palace releasing a special portrait to mark the occasion. Subsequently, the royal couple shared a carousel of previously unseen photographs on social media, writing "grateful" in Norwegian to commemorate 25 years since their wedding at the Oslo Cathedral on August 25, 2001.
When Mette-Marit married into the royal family, she brought her then-young son, Marius Borg Høiby. Now 29 years old, Høiby is facing a four-year prison sentence on two counts of rape. The controversy erupted when one of the throwback photos featured Prince Haakon carrying a young Marius on his shoulders at a beach. Social media users swiftly condemned the post as a severe error in judgment given the gravity of the ongoing legal proceedings.
"Posting a picture of Marius is definitely a choice," one user wrote, adding that it felt entirely "out of touch." Another user drew parallels with the British monarchy, suggesting it would have triggered a full-scale crisis. "Just imagine if Queen Camilla's son from her first marriage were a convicted sex offender, and his mother remained completely silent about it in public - yet proceeded to post photos with him," they remarked. "Unimaginable."
While some royal watchers noted that Prince Haakon had long been praised for raising Marius as his own following his heart, critics argued that highlighting him now - while omitting their other children - was deeply insensitive. "That son is now an adult responsible for his own actions, and his actions are reprehensible," another commentator stated. "To feature Marius in light of everything that has happened feels very deliberate and is deeply disappointing."