The son of Norway's Crown Princess, Marius Borg Høiby, was found guilty on Monday of two of the four rapes he was accused of and sentenced to four years in prison on 34 counts.

In addition to two rapes, one of which was committed in 2018 at the home of the princely couple, the sentence handed down by the Oslo court relates in particular to repeated violence against a former partner, threats, attacks on physical integrity and a violation of the narcotics law.

In this sensational case that tarnished the image of the monarchy, Høiby, born from a relationship prior to his mother Mette-Marit's marriage to Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, had to answer to a total of 40 charges.

This 29-year-old man, who has no official position or fixed profession, contested the most serious accusations.

For unspecified health reasons, Høiby, who has been in pre-trial detention since early February, was not physically present for the reading of the verdict, which he followed via video link from his prison.

In the civil party section, one of the rape victims burst into tears when the judge declared Høiby guilty.

The prosecution had requested a seven-year and seven-month prison sentence. The defense, for its part, had requested acquittal on the rape charges and argued for a one-and-a-half-year prison sentence for other offenses that Høiby had admitted to.

"It is natural to consider appealing the serious charges for which he was convicted and which he has not admitted," reacted one of his lawyers, Ellen Holager Andenæs, on Monday.

For his part, prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø described the sentence as "long and severe, proportionate to the seriousness of the offenses".

"I think this verdict is a victory for our justice system, that it shows that no one is above the law, no matter who you are or what family you belong to," he told AFP.

- A life full of excess -

The trial, which took place from February 3 to March 19, brought to light the young man's life of excess, propelled into the public sphere at the age of three by the romance between Mette-Marit and Haakon.

"I am mostly known as my mother's son, not as anything else. So I have had an extremely high need for recognition all my life," he said on the second day of the trial.

"And that resulted in a lot of sex, a lot of drugs and a lot of alcohol," he added.

The rapes he was accused of were, according to the prosecution, committed between 2018 and 2024 after festive evenings during which Høiby had consumed alcohol and drugs.

Each time, consensual sexual relations were allegedly followed by other, illegal acts, with the young women appearing to be asleep.

The legal debate focused in particular on the state of consciousness of the alleged victims and on what Høiby could perceive at the time of the events.

Høiby denounced the media pressure which, he said, made him "a monster", "the target of hatred from all over Norway".

- "Reign of terror" -

The case broke on August 4, 2024 when Høiby was arrested, suspected of having assaulted his partner the previous night in the upscale neighborhoods of Oslo.

Another woman, influencer Nora Haukland, later claimed to have also suffered physical and psychological abuse—a "reign of terror," the prosecution would say. At the trial, Høiby admitted that jealousy could make him lose his temper.

It was by analyzing his phones and computers that investigators found videos documenting what they consider to be rapes.

Although Høiby is not formally part of the Royal House, the affair has embarrassed the Norwegian monarchy and contributed to weakening public support, which nevertheless remains relatively high.

This adds to other scandals, including recent revelations about sustained correspondence between Mette-Marit and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014, when the American financier had already been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Suffering from an incurable lung disease, the 52-year-old princess has seen her health deteriorate significantly in recent months, to the point that doctors have placed her on a waiting list for a delicate transplant.