Norwegian royals in crisis: As the family is blighted by illness, an assault scandal and Princess Martha Louise's controversial marriage - how will ailing King Harald fill the vacuum in power?

There's small uncertainty it's been a difficult fewer years for nan Norwegian Royal Family.

With pending criminal charges, arguable marriages and an progressively uncertain succession, it's apt location is 1 point connected nan mind of King Harald V - nan early of his family.

King Harald is preparing to observe his 88th day successful February - holding firmly to his title arsenic Europe's oldest monarch - aft facing a spate of sick wellness astatine nan commencement of nan year.

Attention has gradually shifted to his succession, but alternatively than walk to his eldest child, arsenic contented now dictates, nan early of nan Norwegian crown feels acold little certain.

Ahead of marrying American 'Shaman' Durek Verrett this year, Princess Martha Louise of Norway - King Harald's eldest kid - decided to measurement backmost from royal duties.

But it is her younger relative - Crown Prince Haakon - who is apt to consciousness nan dense load of royal life aft his woman Crown Princess Mette-Marit fell sick and stepped backmost temporarily.

Though he remains nan heir, pinch his woman retired of action (and his worries astir nan 'uncertainty' her information causes) location is simply a possibility that his 20-year-old girl Princess Ingrid Alexandra could go Queen decades earlier she had expected to. 

But nan family's contention isn't only astir nan succession, pinch Crown Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son Marius Borg Høiby facing battle charges brought against him by 2 of his ex-girlfriends. He denies nan allegations.

Assault charges against Crown Prince's step-son

Often called nan 'black sheep' of nan Norwegian Royal Family, Marius Borg Høiby has recovered himself successful headlines again arsenic he continues to contradict allegations of assault.

Borg Høiby, who is nan boy of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a erstwhile relationship, has denied criminal liability for maltreatment successful adjacent relationships against 2 women - Nora Haukland and Juliane Snekkestad - and claims himself to beryllium a victim.

The 27-year-old has reportedly been questioned complete nan allegations successful 8 constabulary interviews, and was taken into custody earlier successful October aft breaching a restraining order.

The restraining bid was for nan protection of Rebecca Helberg Arntsen, whom Borg Høiby admitted to assaulting successful a booze and drug-fuelled onslaught connected 4 August, which saw him arrested for nan first clip and held successful a constabulary compartment overnight. 

The bid was not made instantly aft nan attack, but after Borg Høiby reportedly contacted nan unfortunate connected respective occasions pursuing nan assault.

Meanwhile, battle charges against nan royal person precocious expanded to see 3 much alleged victims, 2 of whom person been named arsenic his ex-girlfriends Juliane Snekkestad and Nora Haukland.

However, Borg Høiby has denied nan charges, pinch his defence lawyer claiming nan 27-year-old had faced maltreatment successful a past narration himself.

The ungraded comes astatine a difficult clip for his contiguous family, arsenic his mother Crown Princess Mette-Marit was past week placed connected sick time off owed to broadside effects of her chronic lung disease.

Crown Princess connected sick time off for chronic disease 

It emerged past week that Crown Prince Mette-Marit will measurement backmost from nationalist life temporarily arsenic she recovers from medicinal broadside effects associated pinch her chronic lung disease. 

The Norwegian Royal Court confirmed to FEMAIL that nan 51-year-old is taking immoderate clip out, saying: 'H.K.H. The Crown Princess is connected sick leave.

'Due to broadside effects of nan medicine that Her Royal Highness is utilizing for her chronic lung disease, she is connected sick leave, initially for a week. Her charismatic programme during this play will beryllium cancelled aliases postponed.'

Earlier this month, nan Royal Family warned that Mette-Marit's existent people of curen for pulmonary fibrosis whitethorn interfere pinch her planned duties complete nan coming weeks. 

The Crown Princess's wellness information was first made nationalist successful 2018, erstwhile it was revealed Mette-Marit had been diagnosed pinch pulmonary fibrosis aliases nan thickening of lung tissue.

At nan time, Mette-Marit issued a connection explaining that nan information 'means my moving capacity will vary' to accommodate her curen including 'periods of clip without an charismatic programme'.

'For a number of years, I person had wellness challenges connected a regular basis, and now we cognize much astir what is involved,' nan mother-of-three said. 'The information intends that my moving capacity will vary.

'The Crown Prince and I are choosing to make this nationalist now partially because successful early location will beryllium a request to scheme periods of clip without an charismatic programme to accommodate curen and erstwhile nan illness is much active.'

Pulmonary fibrosis is incurable and worsens complete time, but nan Norwegian royal's doctor, Professor Kristian Bjøro astatine nan National Hospital, said they'd been monitoring her information for respective years and nan 'disease progression has been slow complete this period'.

Not overmuch is known astir nan different version of fibrosis that was detected successful Mette-Marit's lung but, according to nan Royal House, 'there is wide statement that, dissimilar different much communal types of pulmonary fibrosis, it is not related to biology aliases manner factors'.

Crown Prince Haakon has antecedently spoken of 'uncertainty' successful his life owed to Crown Princess Mette-Marit's chronic illness, 

With her information affecting Mette-Marit's royal duties, requiring her to lighten her load aliases cancel engagements, Prince Haakon is apt emotion nan dense load of royal life.

'She will ne'er beryllium cured, but nan unwellness is not deteriorating very rapidly, which is what nan doctors are aiming for,' he said successful an charismatic autobiography published past year. 

'She has galore bully days. But nan uncertainty is ever there. Do we person to cancel? We ne'er know. Illness is besides a portion of life, arsenic is addressing challenges together.'

King Harald has imperishable pacemaker fitted

But Mette-Marit isn't nan only Norwegian royal to look wellness troubles this year.

Back successful March, 87-year-old King Harald was admitted to the Rikshospitalet Hospital successful Oslo to person a imperishable pacemaker fitted.

The Royal Family said nan monarch was 'doing well', but he was placed connected sick time off for astir 3 weeks until 8 April. At nan time, 50-year-old Crown Prince Haakon had taken complete his duties.

The King underwent nan process aft falling sick during a backstage vacation pinch his wife Queen Sonja past February. The mates had been visiting the Malaysian edifice land of Langkawi.

King Harald underwent room connected nan island, and received a impermanent pacemaker owed to a debased bosom rate. 

He returned to Norway aboard a aesculapian airplane and was instantly transferred to an Oslo hospital. The king's doctor, Bjørn Bendz, said later that he had contracted an undetermined infection successful Malaysia. 

The monarch has been successful frail wellness successful caller years pinch galore infirmary stays. He had an cognition to switch a bosom valve successful October 2020 aft being hospitalised pinch breathing difficulties.

Despite suffering from various wellness concerns, King Harald has many times said that he has nary plans to abdicate, dissimilar his 2nd relative Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who stepped down astatine nan commencement of 2024.

Princess steps down and marries US 'Shaman'

Perhaps nan astir notable caller contention successful nan Norwegian Royal Family was nan determination of nan eldest daughter, Princess Martha Louise, to measurement backmost from nationalist life.

She confirmed her determination to resign arsenic a elder royal successful November 2022, months aft her engagement to American businessman Durek Verrett - who describes himself arsenic a 'Shaman'.

The mates joined successful early September, successful a three-day ceremonial successful the fjords.

Speaking past year, Martha Louise addressed her determination to measurement backmost for nan first time, claiming nan infinitesimal was filled pinch 'turmoil'.

The princess, 53, who describes herself arsenic 'spiritual' and claims to beryllium a clairvoyant, also said astir being capable to 'see things', a gift she believes she has had from being a young child.

Her resignation from nationalist life is often compared to that of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who stepped backmost arsenic elder British royals and moved overseas successful January 2020.

The princess was only formally included successful nan statement of succession successful 1990, erstwhile it was updated to see women. As a consequence, she is 4th successful statement to nan Norwegian throne. 

Her relative Crown Prince Haakon remains adjacent successful statement to inherit nan throne. Had nan princess and her relative been calved aft 1990, Martha Louise would beryllium first successful line.

Martha Louise has alleged that her now-husband's arguable views had contributed to really nan nationalist viewed her position successful nan royal family.

She said: 'The Norwegian group I guess... person decided it's champion for maine to measurement down because of his views astir things.'

Durek, who describes himself arsenic a 'Shaman', was dropped by his patient soon aft nan mates announced their engagement successful June 2022 complete pseudoscientific claims he made successful his book 'Spirit Hacking'. 

Among nan claims were that children 'can get crab from being unhappy'.

Durek has besides claimed he erstwhile came backmost from nan dead, recovering from a month-long coma, by letting his psyche 'burn' and he has besides spoken of having to acquisition a kidney transplant from his sister arsenic a child.

It is unclear why he needed nan kidney aliases really he became wheelchair bound, arsenic he has described. The unwellness which sent him into a coma is besides undisclosed.