Bombay Durpun - Rough year for Norway's royals, rocked by 'biggest scandal'

The legal troubles surrounding Marius Borg Hoiby, the 27-year-old son born of a relationship before Crown Princess Mette-Marit's marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, have dominated the Scandinavian country's headlines since August.

The tall strapping blond with a "bad boy" look -- often photographed in tuxedos, slicked back hair, earrings and tattoos -- was arrested in Oslo on August 4 suspected of assaulting his girlfriend the previous night.

A photograph of a knife stuck in the wall of her apartment soon emerged in the media, alongside news reports that Hoiby handed over a partially destroyed cell phone with no SIM card to police.

Hoiby admitted the assault and damage a few days later, saying in a written statement to the media they were the result of a cocaine- and alcohol-fuelled argument.

He said he had struggled "for a long time with substance abuse" and "mental health troubles".

Hoiby, who has friends in criminal circles according to media, was raised with his two step-siblings but has no official role in the royal family.

His legal troubles have only continued to mount since August.

Two ex-girlfriends have come forward to say they were also assaulted by Hoiby.

By December, the police suspicions against him had swelled to include death threats, violation of a restraining order, two rapes and a third possible sex crime.

When the first rape allegation emerged in November, Hoiby spent a week in police custody -- unprecedented for a member of the Norwegian royal family.

"It's snowballing and it doesn't seem to be able to stop," said Sigrid Hvidsten, a columnist at daily Dagbladet.

"It's the biggest scandal ever in the Norwegian royal family."

Police have yet to press any charges against Hoiby, who has so far only admitted the assault and damage during the night of August 3-4 as well as death threats against an unidentified man.

While still far from over, the saga is the culmination of a challenging year for Norway's royal family, its own "annus horribilis", said Hvidsten.

- Wedding criticism -

Norway's royals have been hugely popular and scandal-free for decades.

But even before the Hoiby affair, its image had been clouded by Princess Martha Louise's second wedding in August.

The 53-year-old eldest child of King Harald and Queen Sonja married an American self-proclaimed shaman, Durek Verrett.

Both are alternative therapy devotees: she claims to be a clairvoyant who can speak with angels; he calls himself a "sixth-generation shaman" and sells pricey gold medallions that he says save lives, prompting critics to call him a charlatan.

The couple have faced harsh criticism for their use of her royal title for commercial gain, which intensified when they signed deals with Hello! magazine and Netflix for exclusive coverage of their wedding.

In 2017, the royal family enjoyed the support of 81 percent of Norwegians but by September this year that had slumped to 62 percent.

Adding to the family's misfortunes, 87-year-old King Harald has suffered a slew of health woes.

In February, Europe's oldest-serving monarch had to be repatriated from a vacation in Malaysia on a medical transport plane after contracting an infection.

He was then put on a lengthy sick leave.

In a sign of things to come, the government earmarked 20 million kroner ($1.8 million) in October for a sarcophagus for the king and queen, to be installed in the royal mausoleum in Oslo.

- Down but not out -

The ageing monarch has only briefly, and indirectly, addressed the family's struggles.

"Sometimes, life is just very difficult. It's something that everyone can experience, including our family," he said in late October.

"When people we love are not doing well, it's hard for everyone around them. We're doing our best to look out for one another," he added.

Experts say the monarchy will survive as long as the scandals only concern peripheral royals.

The king, queen and the crown prince couple all remain hugely popular.

"A republic is not an immediate threat," said Tor Bomann-Larsen, the author of several royal biographies.

"Even the worst polls show that there are twice as many Norwegians who support the monarchy. As long as its central members hold the line, the monarchy is safe."

O.Mallick--BD