Crown Princess Mette-Marit's Public Statement on Epstein
Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has broken a seven-week silence by speaking to national television about her association with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She expressed regret over having met Epstein and described feeling manipulated and deceived by him.
"I feel so manipulated, and when you are manipulated, you don't realise it from the start,"
she said during a 20-minute interview, often appearing on the verge of tears.
Revelations of Contact with Epstein
Seven weeks prior, it was revealed to the Norwegian public that the crown princess had exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein between 2011 and 2014 and had stayed at his Florida residence during times when Epstein was not present.
"It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully,"
she stated.
"And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was."
Following the release of millions of Epstein files by the US Justice Department at the end of January, Mette-Marit had already issued an apology and admitted to poor judgment regarding her relationship with Epstein.
Expressing Regret and Support for Victims
In her interview with public broadcaster NRK, the princess emphasized her wish that she had never met Epstein and highlighted the importance of justice for his victims.
"Of course I wish I had never met him,"
she said, adding that she felt great anger that the victims had not yet received justice for the abuse they endured.
Pressure and Public Scrutiny
Mette-Marit's decision to speak publicly came amid intense scrutiny and pressure to clarify her involvement, including from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. During the interview, she provided limited details and at times appeared defensive.
Knowledge of Epstein's Past
In 2011, three years after Epstein had been jailed for soliciting underage sex, the crown princess wrote in an email:
"Googled u after last email. Agree didn't look too good."
During the interview, she maintained that she did not know Epstein was a sex offender or predator, despite the interviewer noting that a Wikipedia article at the time clearly identified Epstein as a convicted abuser.
"I can't remember this; it was 15 years ago."
"I still didn't know anything about all the abuse. But I had understood enough that I thought he was a bad guy who people shouldn't have contact with,"
she told NRK.
"And I had seen up close how he blackmailed others. So I regret that I didn't tell more people, because I should have."
Private Contact and Lack of Palace Awareness
The crown princess admitted to being overly trusting of Epstein but explained that neither the palace nor the foreign ministry were informed of her relationship with him because he was a "private contact" and she did not disclose all her private associations.
When questioned about spending several days at Epstein's Palm Beach home in 2013, she attributed it to an unnamed mutual acquaintance.
"Epstein was a close friend of a good friend of mine,"
she said.
She mentioned a "situation" during the last day of her stay at the house that made her feel uneasy but declined to provide further details, only stating that she called her husband about it.
Crown Prince Haakon's Support
Crown Prince Haakon recalled the call from Mette-Marit and how it made her feel "unsafe." Despite this incident, the crown princess maintained contact with Epstein for some time afterward.
"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."
Public Reaction and Criticism
Tove Taalesen, royal correspondent for the Nettavisen website, commented that the interview raised more questions than it answered.
"Something must have happened and she didn't want to tell us that."
"She blew the possibility to come clean and to be honest,"
Taalesen told the BBC.
Timing of the Interview
The interview was recorded on Thursday, coinciding with the final day of her son Marius Borg Høiby's rape trial, which began in early February shortly after the Epstein files involving Mette-Marit were made public. The verdict is expected in June. It appears the crown princess waited for the trial's conclusion before speaking publicly.
Extent of Relationship Previously Known
Her connection to Epstein was known in 2019 when she expressed regret over having contact with him, but the full extent of their relationship only became clear after the release of the Epstein files.
Privacy and Public Life
In the NRK interview, Mette-Marit justified not providing detailed information about her friendship by emphasizing the importance of maintaining a private life despite living publicly with her husband.
Historian and TV2 royal correspondent Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen criticized this stance, stating it reflects a misunderstanding of royal responsibilities.
"The only thing this exposes is that the Norwegian royal family and the royal court have misunderstood what it means to be royal - and if they don't turn that boat around this will happen again."
Health and Future Role
The crown princess was also questioned about her motivation to continue in her royal role amid health concerns and public doubts following the Epstein revelations.
Mette-Marit, 52, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, indicated that her ability to continue depends on her health.
The interview was limited to 20 minutes due to her health, and commentators noted that her breathing was sometimes difficult to hear.
"I live with a serious illness,"
she said.
"That is the very thing that decides whether in fact I can continue to perform in the role I hold, or not."
"I would very much like to stand by him in that project, if I have the opportunity to do so, given my health."
Crown Prince Haakon affirmed their continued partnership after more than 25 years of marriage.
"This is after all our project, which we're doing together."
Royal correspondent Tove Taalesen found the use of the word "project" surprising.
"A project is something you do at work, but if you are the king and queen, you have a purpose in life."
