Crown Princess of Norway says she was ‘manipulated and deceived’ by Jeffrey Epstein

Epstein case shakes politicians and Royal Families in Europe The Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit, stated this Friday (20) that she was “manipulated and deceived” by American financier Jeffrey Epstein, convicted of sexual crimes. In an interview with public broadcaster NRK, the princess said she regrets her friendship with Epstein and regretted getting close to him. “I was manipulated and deceived. Of course I wish I had never met him,” she said. Files show frequent contact The crown princess’s statement comes after the release, by the United States Department of Justice, of millions of documents related to the Epstein case. The files show frequent contact between Mette-Marit and Epstein, years after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor. According to the documents, the princess maintained contact with Epstein from 2011 to 2014 and stayed at his home in Palm Beach for four days during a private trip in 2013. “He took advantage of the fact that we had a mutual friend and that I was naive. I like to believe the best in people. But I also chose to end contact with him,” Mette-Marit said. Despite the relationship, she is not accused of any crime. “I’ve never seen anything illegal,” he told NRK. The released records also show an email from 2011 in which the princess claimed to have Googled Epstein and commented that the situation “didn’t look very good,” followed by a smiling emoji. When asked about the message, she stated that she does not remember the context in which she wrote it. “But if I had found information that made me realize he was an abuser and sexual offender, I wouldn’t have drawn a smiling emoji on the back,” she said. Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon speak to the press after visiting the injured in hospital this Sunday (24) AP READ ALSO: Epstein case: US Department of Justice releases another 3 million files and says it did not protect Trump Pressure on the royal family The revelation of new details of the relationship with Epstein provoked public criticism and requests for the princess to provide further clarification. In February, she had already released a statement apologizing to King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. During the interview, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Mette-Marit’s husband, stated that he supports his wife amid the crisis. “Mette is caring, wise and very strong. That’s why I will always be by her side when something difficult happens,” he said. Other personal problems The princess is also facing a delicate moment in her personal life. She suffers from a chronic lung disease that may require a lung transplant in the future. Furthermore, his eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, from a previous relationship, is on trial accused of rape and domestic violence. He denies the most serious allegations. Falling popularity of the monarchy In recent months, the popularity of the Norwegian monarchy has also fallen. A survey carried out by the Norstat institute and released by NRK showed that around 60% of Norwegians support the monarchy — a drop from the 70% recorded in January. At the same time, support for the country’s transformation into a republic rose from 19% to 27%. Europe and its relationship with Epstein The scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein also caused political repercussions in Europe. In the UK, Keir Starmer’s government was criticized following the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, despite his links to Epstein. Prince Andrew once again faces pressure to testify in the United States. In Slovakia, an aide to Prime Minister Robert Fico resigned after emails with Epstein were released. In France, former minister Jack Lang is under pressure to step down as president of the Arab World Institute. In Norway, public figures such as Crown Princess Mette-Marit and former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland have returned to the spotlight following the release of new documents. Parliamentarians are discussing opening an investigation into possible links to Epstein, while Jagland is also being investigated by Norwegian police on suspicion of corruption — an accusation he denies.

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