{"id":14304,"date":"2025-06-29T04:40:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T03:40:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/?p=14304"},"modified":"2025-06-29T04:40:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T03:40:35","slug":"norways-big-royal-family-marriage-experiment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/2025\/06\/norways-big-royal-family-marriage-experiment\/","title":{"rendered":"Norway’s big royal family marriage experiment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Historically, noble and especially royal families refused to let their children marry commoners. This would risk bad blood they said (according to movies). This practice flies in the face of meritocratic marriage standards to which we are now accustomed and strikes us as unfair and old fashioned. Famously, there has been a number of occasions in recent history where members did in fact marry commoners anyway.<\/p>\n

First, we have Edward the 8th of Britain<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In early December 1936, a\u00a0constitutional crisis<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0British Empire<\/a>\u00a0arose when\u00a0King Edward VIII<\/a>\u00a0proposed to marry\u00a0Wallis Simpson<\/a>, an American\u00a0socialite<\/a>\u00a0who was divorced from her first husband and was in the process of divorcing her second.<\/p>\n

The marriage was opposed by the governments of the\u00a0United Kingdom<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Dominions<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0British Commonwealth<\/a>. Religious, legal, political, and moral objections were raised. As the\u00a0British monarch<\/a>, Edward was the nominal head of the\u00a0Church of England<\/a>, which at this time did not allow divorced people to\u00a0remarry<\/a>\u00a0in church if their ex-spouses were still alive.[<\/span>a]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0For this reason, it was widely believed that Edward could not marry Simpson and remain on the throne. As a double-divorc\u00e9e, Simpson was perceived to be politically, morally and socially unsuitable as a prospective\u00a0queen consort<\/a>. It was widely assumed by\u00a0the Establishment<\/a>\u00a0that she was driven by love of money or position rather than love for the King. Despite the opposition, Edward declared that he loved Simpson and intended to marry her as soon as her second divorce was finalised.<\/p>\n

The widespread unwillingness to accept Simpson as the King’s consort and Edward’s refusal to give her up led to his\u00a0abdication<\/a>\u00a0in December 1936.[<\/span>b]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He was succeeded by his brother Albert, who became\u00a0George VI<\/a>. Edward was given the title of\u00a0Duke of Windsor<\/a>, and styled\u00a0Royal Highness<\/a>, following his abdication, and he married Simpson the following year. They remained married until his death 35 years later.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The movie version of this history can be found in The King’s Speech<\/a> (2010), though it is mainly about the brother. Things ended relatively well in this case:<\/p>\n

After his abdication, Edward was created\u00a0Duke of Windsor<\/a>. He married Simpson in France on 3 June 1937, after her second divorce became final. Later that year, the couple\u00a0toured Nazi Germany<\/a>, which fed rumours that he was a\u00a0Nazi sympathiser<\/a>. During the\u00a0Second World War<\/a>, Edward was at first stationed with the\u00a0British Military Mission to France<\/a>. After the\u00a0fall of France<\/a>, he was appointed\u00a0Governor of the Bahamas<\/a>. After the war, Edward spent the rest of his life in France. He and Wallis remained married until\u00a0his death<\/a>\u00a0in 1972; they had no children.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not to be outdone by his ancestors, another British prince (Harry) decided to do a replication<\/a> with Meghan Markle. She is known for her bad opinions, and her parents are divorced, but at least she did acquired a university degree (though in a useless field<\/a>). Their first act was to leave the royal family (they are probably relieved).<\/p>\n

But consider the Norwegian royal family’s attempt at becoming unpopular<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The wedding of\u00a0Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Mette-Marit Tjessem H\u00f8iby<\/a>\u00a0took place on 25 August 2001 at\u00a0Oslo Cathedral<\/a>. It was the first royal wedding to take place in\u00a0Norway<\/a>\u00a0since the marriage of then-Crown Prince Harald<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Sonja Haraldsen<\/a>\u00a0in 1968.[<\/span>1]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Because of the background of the bride, the wedding was frequently referred to in publications as “unconventional” and “uncommon,” and Mette-Marit as a modern-day\u00a0Cinderella<\/a>.[<\/span>2]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>3]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>4]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What was her background<\/a>?:<\/p>\n

Mette-Marit Tjessem H\u00f8iby was born in\u00a0Kristiansand<\/a>\u00a0in the southern part of Norway, the daughter of\u00a0Sven O. H\u00f8iby<\/a>, who had been unemployed for some time but who had previously worked as a small-scale advertiser and journalist for a local paper in his hometown of Kristiansand, and Marit Tjessem, a former bank clerk. Her father was also a convicted felon, who had twice been convicted of violence.[<\/span>2]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Her parents divorced, and her father later married professional\u00a0stripper<\/a>\u00a0Renate Barsg\u00e5rd.[<\/span>3]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She has a sister and two older brothers, including Per H\u00f8iby. Her step-brother, Trond Berntsen, by her mother’s 1994 marriage to Rolf Berntsen, died in the\u00a02011 Norway attacks<\/a>.[<\/span>4]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Mette-Marit grew up in\u00a0Kristiansand<\/a>, spending many weekends and holidays in the nearby valley of\u00a0Setesdal<\/a>\u00a0and on the coast, where she learned to sail. During her youth, she was active in the local\u00a0Slettheia<\/i>\u00a0youth club, where she was also an activity leader. As a teenager, she played\u00a0volleyball<\/a>, qualifying as a referee and coach.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But it gets worse when we check the other side of the family as well<\/a>:<\/p>\n

H\u00f8iby was born on 13 January 1997 at\u00a0Aker University Hospital<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Oslo<\/a>,[<\/span>18]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0to Mette-Marit Tjessem H\u00f8iby, then a waitress, and Morten Borg, a convicted felon.[<\/span>19]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0His grandfather\u00a0Sven O. H\u00f8iby<\/a>\u00a0was also a convicted felon and unemployed alcoholic, who married a stripper in his second marriage.[<\/span>20]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0His parents were never in a relationship, and only had a\u00a0brief encounter<\/a>[<\/span>21]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0after they were introduced by John Ognby, H\u00f8iby’s former cohabitant and fianc\u00e9, who was also a convicted felon.[<\/span>22]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>23]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0For two years Mette-Marit was in a relationship with Ognby, a man on welfare who was 15 years her senior, until shortly before Marius’ birth. They shared a social housing apartment provided by welfare services in a working-class neighborhood in\u00a0Lillestr\u00f8m<\/a>, until a breakup occurred after Ognby chased Mette-Marit down the street with a knife around the time she became pregnant with Marius.[<\/span>24]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why would a Crown prince marry her? Anyway, now news has broken that this ill-fated son has in fact turned out as one might expect. Here I will only quote a bit because the Wikipedia<\/a> summary is too long to quote in full (!):<\/p>\n

On 18 November 2024, H\u00f8iby was arrested on suspicion of\u00a0rape<\/a>.[<\/span>11]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Since 20 November 2024, he has been held in\u00a0remand<\/a>\u00a0at\u00a0Hamar Prison<\/a>,[<\/span>1]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>2]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and he is held incommunicado.[<\/span>77]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>12]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The justice system has authorised that the police can keep him no longer than until 27 November 2024; at that time his one-week detention expired; the prosecutor had asked for two weeks.[<\/span>77]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He was promptly released on that date.[<\/span>78]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

On 25 November, it became known that H\u00f8iby is under investigating for raping another woman, after having been released following his initial arrest and questioning by the police.[<\/span>79]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>80]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

H\u00f8iby invited criminal friends to the royal property\u00a0Skaugum<\/a>, including members of the\u00a0Hells Angels<\/a>\u00a0criminal gang, to what he called “Skaugum festivals”, where drugs were consumed. At these festivals Mette-Marit personally received Marius’ criminal friends.[<\/span>81]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>82]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>83]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0H\u00f8iby is also charged with raping women at Skaugum.[<\/span>84]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Jan B\u00f8hler wrote that “a member of the royal family has for years vacationed and partied with central figures in drug-related crime. Individuals known for involvement in serious money laundering cases and violent gangs, including the Hells Angels, have also participated in the festivities. These enemies of society have been allowed to roam freely on the Crown Prince couple’s properties during events referred to as ‘Skaugum festivals’.”[<\/span>85]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

As of December 2024, H\u00f8iby had started in a program of\u00a0drug rehabilitation<\/a>.[<\/span>86]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>87]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

As of June 2025, H\u00f8iby is no longer charged in regard to violence against another named woman, within about a four-year period.[<\/span>88]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The charges said that he pulled her hair, pushed her, and hit her.[<\/span>89]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She was once a girlfriend of H\u00f8iby.[<\/span>41]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>90]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>91]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Norwegian media reported that\u00a0Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway<\/a>\u00a0had been informed of the accusations against H\u00f8iby by the mother of H\u00f8iby’s then-girlfriend, but that the girlfriend’s family felt Haakon had failed to respond.[<\/span>92]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

On 27 June 2025, it was reported that H\u00f8iby is suspected of 3 rapes and 23 other offences, including bodily harm and sexual assault. This follows a 10 month investigation, involving witness interviews, searches and reviewing digital material. It is claimed to involve “a double-digit number” of victims. Prosecutors will decide whether to press charges.[<\/span>93]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>94]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The only thing fortunate about this case is that this son is not an heir to the throne, as he is from a previous ‘marriage’. The 2 new children from the marriage to the crown prince are still too young to tell if they will show behavioral problems. The only concern I found was that the Crown Princess (in line) apparently said she considers her half-brother to be a role model<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OK, but maybe Norway can simply go with the other sibling and disregard prince Haakon’s questionable line of descent? Not even so. Consider the alternative:<\/p>\n

Princess M\u00e4rtha Louise of Norway<\/b>\u00a0(born 22 September 1971) is a Norwegian self-described\u00a0clairvoyant<\/a>,[<\/span>2]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>3]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0businesswoman and a member of the\u00a0Norwegian royal family<\/a>, although she is not a member of the royal house and has no public role. She is married to\u00a0Durek Verrett<\/a>.[<\/span>4]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right, so who is Durek Verrett<\/a>?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

OK then, I hope things turn out well for the current line of descent. Given that the first born is a woman (princess Ingrid<\/a>), which generally have fewer behavioral issues, the chances aren’t too bad.<\/p>\n

For an alternative approach, consider the Danish king’s choice of commoner, Mary Queen of Denmark<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born 5 February 1972 at\u00a0Queen Alexandra Hospital<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Battery Point<\/a>, a suburb of\u00a0Hobart<\/a>,\u00a0Tasmania<\/a>.[<\/span>3]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She is youngest of four children to\u00a0Scottish<\/a>\u00a0parents, Henrietta (n\u00e9e Horne), an executive assistant to the vice-chancellor of the\u00a0University of Tasmania<\/a>, and\u00a0John Dalgleish Donaldson<\/a>, an academic, mathematics professor and member of the\u00a0Clan Donald<\/a>.[<\/span>4]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>5]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Her paternal grandfather was Captain Peter Donaldson (1911\u20131978).[<\/span>6]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She was named after her grandmothers, Mary Dalgleish and Elizabeth Gibson Melrose, and was born and raised in Hobart. She has two older sisters, Jane Stephens and Patricia Bailey, and an older brother, John Stuart Donaldson. Her mother died from complications following heart surgery on 20 November 1997, when Mary was 25.[<\/span>7]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\u00a0In 2001, her father married the British author and novelist\u00a0Susan Moody<\/a>\u00a0(n\u00e9e Horwood).[<\/span>5]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Her pedigree is rather elite by comparison. Of their 4 children, the oldest (prince Christian<\/a>) doesn’t show any behavioral concerns so far.<\/p>\n

Why care about descent? One of the first adoption studies of this was done in Denmark already in the 1980s. By 2005, when Moffitt meta-analyzed about 100 estimates of the heritability<\/a>, it looked like this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There is good reason to think this is a stark underestimate because antisocial behavior is very difficult to measure well and measurement error causes heritability to be underestimated (A and C too low, E too high). There’s only one study I know of that used multiple indicators to measure a latent antisocial trait. I wrote about it some years back<\/a>, here’s the summary:<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Genetic and environmental influences on childhood antisocial and aggressive behavior (ASB) during childhood were examined in 9- to 10-year-old twins, using a multi-informant approach. The sample (605 families of twins or triplets) was socioeconomically and ethnically diverse, representative of the culturally diverse urban population in Southern California. Measures of ASB included symptom counts for conduct disorder, ratings of aggression, delinquency, and psychopathic traits obtained through child self-reports, teacher, and caregiver ratings. Multivariate analysis revealed a common ASB factor across informants that was strongly heritable (heritability was .96)<\/strong>, highlighting the importance of a broad, general measure obtained from multiple sources as a plausible construct for future investigations of specific genetic mechanisms in ASB. The best fitting multivariate model required informant-specific genetic, environmental, and rater effects for variation in observed ASB measures. The results suggest that parent, children, and teachers have only a partly \u201cshared view\u201d and that the additional factors that influence the \u201crater-specific\u201d view of the child\u2019s antisocial behavior vary for different informants. This is the first study to demonstrate strong heritable effects on ASB in ethnically and economically diverse samples.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

96% is too high, but as far as I know, no follow-up or replication has been done using this careful a measurement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Historically, noble and especially royal families refused to let their children marry commoners. This would risk bad blood they said (according to movies). This practice flies in the face of meritocratic marriage standards to which we are now accustomed and strikes us as unfair and old fashioned. Famously, there has been a number of occasions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":14305,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2351,1690],"tags":[2002,3715],"class_list":["post-14304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-criminology","category-genetics","tag-norway","tag-royal-family","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14304"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14307,"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14304\/revisions\/14307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emilkirkegaard.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}