Why Epstein’s 'wife hunt' emails are haunting Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Mette-Marit, who has previously acknowledged ties with Epstein, reiterated her regret after the latest disclosures.

• Crown Princess Mette-Marit faces scrutiny over emails with Jeffrey Epstein.
• Epstein called himself on a "wife hunt" in emails; Mette-Marit replied warmly.
• Nearly half of Norwegians now oppose Mette-Marit becoming queen, poll shows.

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Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has come under renewed public and political scrutiny after newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents revealed intimate email exchanges in which the convicted sex offender spoke of being on a “wife hunt”, messages that have now become a flashpoint in the country.

The controversy erupted after a fresh tranche of Epstein-related files released by the US Department of Justice in January showed that Mette-Marit’s name appeared nearly 1,000 times. Among the most widely cited exchanges is a 2012 email in which Epstein wrote to the crown princess that he was on a “wife hunt”, adding that “Paris is proving interesting, but I prefer Scandinavians.”

Mette-Marit replied that Paris was “good for adultery” and that “Scandis [are] better wife material,” an exchange that has since dominated Norwegian media coverage.

Warm emails with Epstein

The files also include several emails from 2012 in which the crown princess referred to Epstein as “sweetheart”, “soft hearted” and “very charming”. In one message, she asked Epstein whether it was “inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15-year-old son’s wallpaper?”

To this, Epstein replied, “Let them decide,” advising her to “stay out of it”.

Another set of documents shows that in 2013, Mette-Marit stayed for four days at an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that the visit was arranged through a mutual friend.

In a 2011 email, sent three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution, the crown princess acknowledged she had “googled” him, adding, “it didn’t look too good,” followed by a smiling emoji.

Apologies and regret

Mette-Marit, who has previously acknowledged ties with Epstein, reiterated her regret after the latest disclosures.

"I must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly, and for not realizing sooner what kind of person he was," she said in a statement to CNN. "I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing," she noted.

In an earlier apology in 2019, she had remarked, "Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be. I also apologise for the situation I have put the Royal Family in, especially the King and Queen."

With mounting controversy, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has urged the crown princess to explain the extent of her communication with Epstein, as public debate intensifies over the monarchy’s credibility.

A TV2 poll published this week found that 47.6 percent of respondents believe Mette-Marit should not become queen, while only 28.9 percent supported her eventual accession.

The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the royal family. King Harald, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, will turn 89 later this month.

Mette-Marit is, however, not the only Norwegian figure named in the documents.

Authorities are examining whether former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland received gifts, travel, or loans from Epstein.

Jagland, who served as Norway’s prime minister in the late 1990s and later chaired the Nobel Committee, is mentioned in the files as having visited Epstein’s private island with his family in 2014. Norway’s economic crime investigation unit is reviewing the claims.

Also Read | Inside the Epstein files’ most disturbing rumour

A monarchy under strain

The Epstein revelations have further strained the image of a royal family already grappling with personal and public challenges. Mette-Marit is currently dealing with the criminal trial of her 29-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby, who faces multiple charges, including rape and assault. He risks up to 16 years in prison if convicted.

The crown princess has also scaled back royal duties in recent years due to a rare and incurable lung disease.

Once celebrated as a modern fairytale figure who rose from humble beginnings to Norway’s royal household, Mette-Marit now finds herself at the centre of one of the monarchy’s most serious reputational crises, one reignited by a single line in the Epstein files -- a “wife hunt” email that refuses to fade away.