OSLO: Norway’s royal family faced renewed criticism after Marius Borg Høiby, the convicted stepson of King Haakon VIII, took part in the funeral procession for the late King Harald V.
Høiby, 29, joined senior members of the royal family Monday to carry Harald’s coffin from the Royal Palace to the palace chapel.
He was among eight people carrying the coffin, alongside King Haakon and his children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, as well as Princess Märtha Louise and her three daughters, Maud, Leah and Emma Behn.
Høiby is serving a four-year prison sentence under house arrest at his parents’ Skaugum Estate while he appeals his conviction on two counts of rape. His appearance at the solemn royal gathering prompted a strong public backlash.
Queen Mette-Marit also attended the procession, marking her first official appearance since her husband became king.
The royal family’s mourning period has also been overshadowed by controversy surrounding the queen’s reported ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the criminal case involving her son.
King Haakon VIII was formally sworn in Tuesday. Queen Mette-Marit did not attend the ceremony because of complications following her lung transplant in June.
More read, King Harald V battling blood disorder and infection in Oslo Hospital
Earlier, Norway’s King Harald V, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch at 89, is in “extremely serious” condition in an Oslo hospital after suffering from a blood disorder and a blood infection, the royal palace said.
The king was admitted to Oslo University Hospital on August 17 with hemolytic anemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them. The palace said he has also developed a blood infection.
Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and other members of the royal family have visited the monarch at the hospital. Haakon, who has been serving as regent during his father’s illness, has also taken on the king’s official duties.
