Royals make first balcony appearance after king’s funeral as Marius Borg Høiby’s inclusion draws attention

Norway’s new royal family has appeared on the palace balcony together for the first time following a day filled with emotion as the country farewelled its late monarch, King Harald V.

King Haakon VIII stood with his wife Queen Mette-Marit and their daughter, and heir, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, waving to the thousands who had gathered in the square below. The king and queen were joined by their youngest son, Prince Sverre Magnus and the late monarch’s widow Queen Sonja.

But Haakon’s stepson Marius Borg Høiby, who was seen earlier sitting behind the king and his mother Mette-Marit inside Oslo Cathedral during the state funeral, was kept hidden from public view.

Their appearance on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo marks the beginning of a new chapter for the family, as they attempt to put aside a turbulent period beset by health challenges and scandals, which had pushed the monarchy to its limits.

Queen Sonja, who was married to King Harald V for one day shy of 58 years, received the biggest cheer from the crowds when she stepped onto the balcony late on Wednesday afternoon (early Thursday morning in Australia). The queen was seen reacting with surprise, while her daughter-in-law Queen Mette-Marit held back tears.

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King Harald V of Norway laid to rest in royal-filled ceremony in Oslo

King Haakon, 53, stood with his family for a few minutes, taking in the crowds and the sea of flowers, cards and tributes left to his father in the palace square. Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who recently returned from Australia where she was a student at Sydney University, smiled and waved.

It’s estimated around 200,000 people lined the streets of Oslo to farewell the king, including those who had waited hours behind barricades to watch the funeral procession which saw the royal family follow Harald’s coffin on foot along with more than 30 foreign royals, heads of state, world leaders, members of the royal household and armed forces personnel.

The procession began at the Royal Palace and ended 1.2 kilometres away at Oslo Cathedral. Following the state funeral, King Haakon was the only member of his family to proceed on foot to Akershus Fortress, where Harald was laid to rest in the Royal Mausoleum.

In a show of solidarity, King Haakon was closely followed by the two other Nordic monarchs, King Frederik X of Denmark and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who walked with him as the procession moved to Akershus.

The committal ceremony was a private one and attended by close family, friends and household staff. Afterwards, the royals retuned to the palace where they stood on its balcony before hosting a reception for funeral guests inside.

Norway’s national period of mourning came to an end on Wednesday as King Harald V was farewelled following a 35-year-reign. He died on August 28, aged 89, after numerous health issues over the years including a recent blood disorder and infection.

Convicted rapist Marius Borg Høiby draws attention

Queen Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Høiby did not join the procession from the palace to the cathedral, instead arriving with Shaman Durek Verrett − husband to Princess Märtha Louise, the late king’s daughter − and Märtha Louise’s three daughters.

Høiby, who was convicted of rape and assault in June, walked into the cathedral holding hands with one of his cousins and was seated in the second row, directly behind his mother, the king and his siblings Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.

The 29-year-old sat in the same row as Princess Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek, who was seen for the first time in public following his recent kidney transplant.

Høiby remains under house arrest at the family’s private estate, Skaugum, with an ankle monitor and was given special permission from police to attend both the state funeral, mourning events last week and his grandfather’s hospital bedside.

Earlier this week, Oslo’s district court confirmed his home detention would be extended for another four weeks, until October 5. Høiby has previously asked to be released, but this time chose not to fight the extension following King Harald’s death, amid concerns doing so would cause unwanted headlines for the family in mourning.

Høiby has appealed his four-year prison sentence, meaning it is not legally binding as yet. The case is due to be retried, in full, next year.

Though Høiby never held a royal title or official role, he grew up as part of Norway’s royal family when his mother married then-Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. He was just four at the time.

Høiby was considered one of King Harald’s six grandchildren and treated as such, attending many events with the royal family before he stepped back from the spotlight in 2017 after struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

Last week he joined King Haakon, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Princess Märtha Louise and her daughters in carrying the monarch’s coffin through the palace to the royal chapel where it lay in state until the funeral.

While that event was considered a private one, the solemn ceremony was broadcast live in Norway and photos later sent around the world with Høiby’s inclusion causing anger among many.

His attendance at King Harald’s state funeral was expected and had been confirmed before Wednesday.

However, that Høiby was largely keep away from cameras during the day’s formal events, except for the funeral service itself, shows the royal family is conscious of the image it projects both in Norway and to the world, under the new reign of King Haakon VIII.