Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit is facing renewed scrutiny after newly released U.S. Justice Department files detailed extensive contact with Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction for child sex crimes.
The disclosures have prompted rare public criticism from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and added to mounting challenges confronting the country’s royal family.
Prime Minister Støre said on Monday that the crown princess had shown poor judgement in maintaining contact with Epstein, aligning himself with her own public admission.
"I am really using her own words. She says she has showed bad judgement. I agree and I think it is worth saying that when I am asked my opinion about this," Støre told reporters.
He said he had not discussed the matter with the royal palace.
Støre added that Mette-Marit and other prominent Norwegians named in the documents should clarify the extent of their interactions with Epstein.
"We have seen that the information that has emerged has shed more light on the matter than what has been said before," he said.
The prime minister also agreed that former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland had exercised poor judgement after it emerged he had once planned a family holiday on Epstein’s private island before cancelling it.
The latest revelations come amid broader strain on Norway’s generally popular monarchy.
One email discussion referenced whether a mother should suggest naked women carrying a surfboard as wallpaper for her son.
On Saturday, Mette-Marit apologised for her contacts with Epstein, acknowledging she had failed to investigate his background adequately.
"I deeply regret this, and it is a responsibility I must bear. I showed poor judgement and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing."
The U.S. files show hundreds of references to the crown princess between 2011 and 2014 and indicate she was aware of Epstein’s earlier jail term.
The controversy has intensified as her son, Marius Borg Høiby, is set to stand trial in Oslo on multiple charges including rape and domestic violence.
The royal family has faced a series of challenges in recent years, including health issues affecting King Harald and criticism surrounding other family members’ personal and commercial activities.
Despite these pressures, polling published before the latest disclosures showed continued majority support for the monarchy among Norwegians.