Mette-Marit's Epstein Contact

Mette-Marit's future as Norwegian queen questioned

Can Mette-Marit really become queen after this? The question is heating up in Norway after the revelation of the Crown Princess's close contact with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Aftenposten's political editor Kjetil B Alstadheim writes that the scandal even surpasses the one surrounding the accused son Marius Borg Høiby, because now it is "a direct threat to the institution itself". If Mette-Marit had been a politician, she would have resigned, but that's not how the royal family works.

How she and the court handle the matter now "could be decisive for whether she ever becomes Queen Mette-Marit", he writes.

Alstadheim raises a relevant question, Nettavisen's royal expert Tove Taalesen tells TV2. Can this be forgotten? Taalesen believes that it is unlikely that the line of succession will be disrupted, but also has “no qualms” about the next person in line, 22-year-old Princess Ingrid Alexandra, simply being bumped up a level in the order of succession.

Danish royal expert Line Bjerre Kristensen is also discussing the possibility of making Ingrid Alexandra heir to the throne. In “unsustainable” situations, people can be skipped, she tells VG. The fact that King Harald is 88 years old and has had failing health makes the issue even more urgent. 

Mette-Marit and Epstein — the issue is relevant

• New documents released on Friday show that Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit had significantly closer contact with Jeffrey Epstein than previously known.
• Mette-Marit was mentioned over a thousand times in the documents and had extensive email exchanges with the sex offender between 2011 and 2013. She is also said to have spent the night at his house in 2013.
• The Crown Princess is said to have received $20,000 from Epstein in connection with a real estate deal, but the Norwegian court denies this.
• Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre demands that Mette-Marit lay her cards on the table and tell the truth about what happened.
• The scandal has led to discussions about Mette-Marit's future as queen and affected confidence in the Norwegian royal family.