Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s new Queen Mette-Marit, will be allowed to attend the funeral of the late King Harald V, despite being under house arrest after being sentenced for rape, Norwegian police confirmed to dpa on Monday.
In June, Høiby was sentenced to four years in prison on various counts, including two for rape. The verdict is subject to appeal and is not final.
He is currently being held in pretrial detention with an electronic ankle monitor at Skaugum Palace, the official residence of King Haakon VIII and Mette-Marit.
Høiby will be allowed to take part in the ceremonial procession on Monday, during which Harald’s coffin will be carried to the palace chapel. He was also permitted to see his step-grandfather in hospital last week before he died.
The 29-year-old is a member of the royal family but is not officially part of the Royal House.
Harald died on Friday at the age of 89. His funeral will take place on September 9. His coffin is to be carried from a reception room in the palace to the chapel on Monday afternoon, accompanied by his family.
Harald’s widow, Queen Sonja, and the new Queen Mette-Marit will also be present. The coffin will then be placed on a raised platform in the palace chapel. A private memorial service will subsequently be held there for the late king’s family, members of his household and his aides.
FILE PHOTO – King Harald V of Norway gives a speech ahead of a gala dinner at the palace in connection with the state visit of Icelandic President Tomasdottir and her husband Skulason. Norwegian King Harald V hopes that the rape trial against his grandson by marriage, Marius Borg Høiby, will bring some kind of closure for all those involved. (is associated with: «Norwegian queen’s disgraced son allowed to attend late king’s funeral») Fredrik Varfjell/NTB/dpa