Overview
- Crown Princess Mette-Marit expressed regret over her past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, said she never witnessed illegal behavior, and has not been accused of any crime.
- US Justice Department files show frequent communication between the two from 2011 to 2014 and document a four‑day stay at his Palm Beach home in 2013.
- An October 2011 email in which she wrote that she had googled Epstein and that it “didn’t look too good” undercuts earlier claims of ignorance; she told NRK she does not recall writing it.
- She said she chose to end contact in 2014 after incidents that made her feel unsafe, while Crown Prince Haakon publicly backed her during the interview.
- The disclosures have drawn political rebukes and demands for answers, and polling shows support for the monarchy dropping to 60%, as her health issues and her son’s recent trial shaped the timing of her remarks.