Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Monday said he agreed with Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s admission that she had shown “poor judgement” in maintaining contact with disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as newly released US court files revealed extensive past communications between them.
The acknowledgement came after documents released by the US Department of Justice showed the crown princess appeared hundreds of times in Epstein-related records between 2011 and 2014, triggering fresh scrutiny of Norway’s royal family.
In a statement issued earlier, Crown Princess Mette-Marit said she regretted having any contact with Epstein, calling it “simply embarrassing”, and expressed deep sympathy and solidarity with the victims of abuse linked to him.
Støre’s public agreement with the princess’s admission is seen as unusual, as Norwegian prime ministers rarely comment critically on members of the royal family. He also said former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland had exercised “poor judgement” after it emerged that Jagland once planned, but later cancelled, a family holiday on Epstein’s private island.
The revelations have surfaced at a sensitive time for the monarchy, just ahead of a seven-week trial of the crown princess’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, who faces 38 charges including rape and sexual assault. Høiby, 29, who is not a member of the royal family, denies the most serious allegations. If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence.
According to the newly disclosed files, Crown Princess Mette-Marit spent several days at Epstein’s residence in Palm Beach in January 2013, and email exchanges suggested a warm tone in their correspondence, including references indicating awareness of his earlier conviction in 2008.
Norwegian commentators have expressed shock at the nature of the communications, raising questions about how the risks of maintaining contact with Epstein were assessed and the role of royal advisers at the time.
The royal family has faced a series of controversies in recent years, adding to public unease. No member of the family is expected to attend the upcoming trial in Oslo district court, which begins on Tuesday.
Crown Prince Haakon said last week that the family’s thoughts were with everyone affected by the case, adding that while his stepson is not a royal, he remains an important part of their family.
With inputs from BBC