NORWAY'S PRINCESS METTE-MARIT REGRETS HER FRIENDSHIP WITH EPSTEIN

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has apologized in a written statement for her friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"It is important to me to apologize to everyone I have disappointed," the royal family said in a statement released on Friday, quoting the crown princess.

"Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be," it went on to say, adding that she regretted "the situation" she had put the Norwegian royal family, especially the king and queen, in.

The family said that it understood the strong reactions to the news of recent days, noting that Mette-Marit, 52, strongly distances herself from Epstein's assaults and criminal acts and deeply regrets not having recognized earlier what kind of person he was.

However, while the princess would like to comment further about the situation, "she is unable to do so at present" as she is in a "very difficult situation." "She hopes for understanding that she needs time to gather her thoughts," the statement said.

The letter did not elaborate on the "difficult situation" but could refer to her name having appeared hundreds of times in the Epstein files - even after an initial conviction that required him to register as a sex offender. This has triggered widespread criticism in Norway.

Or it could be a reference to the rape trial against Mette-Marit's eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, which began in Oslo this week. The crown princess is also struggling with her health: she has a chronic lung disease and needs a new lung.

2026-02-06T17:03:57Z