A controversial August for the Norwegian Royal Family

The Norwegian Royal Family has seen its fair share of drama and controversy this month. From an arrest to a much-talked-about wedding, August has kept all eyes on Norway.

It is safe to say August hasn’t gone the way the Norwegian Royal House expected. While they knew there was controversy surrounding Princess Martha Louise’s upcoming wedding to American Shaman Durek Verrett, they didn’t expect one of their own to make headlines for an arrest.

Earlier this month, Marius Borg Høiby (the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit) was arrested for assault, battery, threats and property damage. The victim was his ex-girlfriend. Høiby, 27, later admitted to being under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. He said he had been battling mental health issues.

He also told the media: “I have struggled with substance abuse for a long time, something I have been in treatment for in the past. I will now resume this treatment and take it very seriously.”

Pictures and audio of Marius were later revealed online, including one image that showed him holding a pistol in an undated photo. There have also been other accusations of previous domestic violence.

The Royal Court has declined to comment and referred the media to Høiby’s attorney.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit also received some criticism as she reportedly called the victim of her son – even though Norwegian media stressed that Mette-Marit showed “care and humanity in the conversation” and didn’t try to influence the ex-girlfriend.

Not surprisingly, Marius will not attend his aunt’s wedding at the end of the month.

And that wedding is not without its own controversy and criticism.

Princess Martha Louise, a self-proclaimed clairvoyant, will wed Durek Verrett, an American shaman, and the couple have claimed they met in a different life when Durek was a pharaoh and Martha Louise a queen in ancient Egypt.

Durek has also faced racism in the media and his fiancee has called out the Norwegian press for their coverage of Verrett. Martha Louise told Vanity Fair in 2019: “Before I met him, I never thought that there was racism in Norway.”

The couple were also accused of being involved in marketing a gin for their wedding that used Martha Louise’s royal title – which is not allowed to be used in commercial contexts.

The latest news to be announced was that Hello! magazine will exclusively cover the wedding and that Netflix has filming rights. The Norwegian media will be able to photograph and cover the wedding only from outside the venue. The Royal Family members will not be in images or videos covered by Hello! or Netflix.

With still a few days to go until the wedding, the Royal House will be hoping for a peaceful end to the month and new, happy beginnings for the entire family.