Marius Borg Hoiby has been under house arrest since July following his conviction for rape, and the Norwegian police have now extended this sentence.
The sentence was due to end on 7 September, but it has now been extended, meaning that Marius will still be under house arrest for the funeral of his grandfather, King Harald. It has been confirmed that Marius will be allowed to attend the solemn event.
While the disgraced royal normally contests extensions to his house arrest, on this occasion he will not fight the ruling.
Speaking to Norwegian publication Nettavisen, Marius’ defence attorney, Petar Sekulic, said: “Høiby still does not agree that there is a risk of recurrence, but he will consent to further detention. He does not want any focus on this in these days surrounding King Harald’s death.”
In June, Marius was found guilty of two counts of rape among other offences, and sentenced to four years in prison. He has appealed the most serious parts of his conviction, meaning that the verdict is not currently legally binding.
However, after a stint in prison, he was released into house arrest, albeit with an electronic ankle tag. Prosecutors have repeatedly stated that they fear Marius may reoffend, something his defence team have strenuously denied.
Since being released, the 29-year-old has been staying at Skaugum, the royal residence of King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit. The property is an old farmhouse that is located on the outskirts of Oslo.
Skaugum was originally an L-shaped farmhouse, with the main house sitting on a raised plot of land. It was renovated into a Swiss chalet-style residence, but after it was destroyed in 1930, the architect Arnstein Arneberg tried to restore it as much as possible to its original design, using the original foundations and cellars while trying to maintain the original dimensions for all the rooms.
Marius’ presence at royal funeral
Despite his conviction, Marius was granted permission to leave house arrest several times last month as Harald’s health worsened. On 27 August, he visited his step-grandfather in the National Hospital, and on the day after, he travelled to Bygdøy Royal Palace following Harald’s death.
His most recent appearance was on 31 August when he joined other members of the royal family in carrying Harald’s bier at a moving ceremony.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe 29-year-old was pictured alongside King Haakon, Princess Märtha Louise, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, as they carried the late monarch’s coffin through the palace, accompanied by court staff.
Like other members of the royal family, Marius wore a black suit for the solemn moment.
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