New Queen of Norway faces Epstein scrutiny as she prepares to take throne
The princess corresponded with Epstein from 2011 to 2014 and was a guest at his Palm Beach house for four days in 2013
Norway's new Queen is facing fresh scrutiny over her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein following revelations that she corresponded with the sex offender after his conviction and stayed at his Palm Beach House in 2013.
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Crown Prince Haakon is the new King of Norway following the death of his father King Harald on Friday at the age of 89.
The new King's ascension has led to fresh scrutiny on his wife Mette-Marit, whose friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was revealed in a batch of files released by the US Department for Justice earlier this year.
Leaked private emails released as part of the Epstein files showed the pair continued to correspond after Epstein's conviction in 2008 for soliciting a child for prostitution.
In one released email from October 2011, Mette-Marit, 53, wrote to Epstein that she had googled him and that she agreed "it didn't look too good", followed by a smiley face.
Read more: Who is the new monarch in Norway and what is the line of succession?
The princess continued to maintain contact with Epstein from 2011 to 2014 and was a guest at his Palm Beach house for four days during a private trip in 2013, the DOJ files show.
She later apologised to the royal family, which took its own hit from the scandal.
Around 60% of Norwegians said they supported the monarchy in a poll in February 2026, down from 70% in January.
A total of 47.6% said she should not become queen in another poll for broadcaster TV2, while 28.9% said she should, the first time data on that question had been collected.
Seven weeks after the news broke, she told public broadcaster NRK she wished she had never met Epstein. "I was manipulated and deceived," she said in a tearful interview.
Compounding the embarrassment of the Epstein revelations, at the time her first son Marius, 29, was standing trial for rape and domestic violence. He denied those charges but admitted to some lesser offences.
In June he was found guilty of two out of four counts of rape and one count of domestic violence and sentenced to four years in prison. Both he and the prosecution have appealed the sentence.
She made no public statements about the trial, leaving her husband to speak to the media.
On top of everything else, Mette-Marit was dealing with challenging health problems that forced her to reduce her workload.
She suffers from chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that makes it harder for her to breathe and leaves her exhausted.
Two days after Marius was convicted, the palace said Mette-Marit had undergone a successful lung transplant, without specifying when the procedure took place.
After several weeks of recovery in hospital, she returned home and celebrated her silver wedding anniversary with Haakon in August.
King Harald V died in a hospital in Oslo, where he was receiving treatment for a rare blood condition, after three decades on the throne.
In the 24 hours before his death, members of the royal family visited, while crowds laid flowers outside the palace.
Harald was recognised as a moderniser, making the royal household more open and accepting two more commoners into the Royal Family.