Norway’s sobbing Crown Princess breaks silence over Epstein scandal amid plunging Royal Family popularity
It emerged that Mette-Marit had exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein between 2011 and 2014, and had stayed at his home in Florida while he was away
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has said she wishes she had "never met" Jeffrey Epstein, as she spoke publicly for the first time since details of her contact with the convicted sex offender emerged.
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The 52-year-old royal said: “I feel so manipulated, and when you are manipulated, you don't realise it from the start.”
At times appearing close to tears, she also told national broadcaster NRK: “It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully.”
“And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was.”
Seven weeks ago, it emerged that Mette-Marit had exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein between 2011 and 2014, and had stayed at his home in Florida while he was away.
During the interview, Mette-Marit was tearful, and her voice cracked while speaking on her relationship with the disgraced financier.
Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender whose links to high-profile figures drew global scrutiny before his death in prison in 2019.
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She had already apologised and admitted to “poor judgement” after the scale of the connection came to light following the release of millions of Epstein files by the US justice department at the end of January.
“Of course I wish I had never met him,” she said, adding that Epstein’s victims were the ones who deserved justice for the abuse they had suffered.
The Princess spoke after a period of heavy scrutiny in Norway, including calls for answers from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
During the interview, she was asked about a 2011 email in which she wrote: “Googled u after last email. Agree didn't look too good.”
Despite that, Mette-Marit insisted she “didn't know he was a sex offender or a predator”, saying when asked about the message: “I can't remember this; it was 15 years ago, to be honest.”
She said she had been too trusting, and explained that Epstein had been a “private contact”, which was why neither the palace nor the foreign ministry had been told.
Asked why she stayed at his Palm Beach home in 2013, she said: “Epstein was a close friend of a good friend of mine.”
She also referred to a “situation” on the final day of that stay which left her feeling uneasy, saying she had phoned Crown Prince Haakon because she felt “unsafe”.
“I am overly trusting, I tend to think the best of people,” she said.
“But I also chose to end all direct contact with him. And it was because of such episodes as that.”
Mette-Marit also addressed questions over her future role, saying her health would determine whether she could continue.
“I live with a serious illness,” she said.
“That is the very thing that decides, quite plainly, whether I can, in any way whatsoever, continue to perform in the role I hold, or not.”