Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has denied the most serious charges as his rape trial opened in Oslo.
Høiby, 29, quietly answered "No" to the question of whether he admitted guilt for the rape and sexual abuse of several women.
He also denies having filmed the alleged victims during the acts.
Høiby took his seat at the Oslo district court on Tuesday for the start of the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19.
He faces 38 charges. They include rape, abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 3.5kg of marijuana. Other charges include making death threats and traffic violations.
Just two days ahead of the trial, Høiby was arrested on Sunday evening on suspicion of physical assault, threatening someone with a knife and violating a restraining order. He is due to spend at least four weeks in custody.
Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship before she married Crown Prince Haakon, Høiby does not hold the title of prince and is not an official member of the Norwegian royal household.
The Norwegian news agency NTB reported Høiby appeared in court wearing a green sweater over a shirt and green trousers. Taking photos or videos of the defendant is prohibited.
Høiby's defence team has said that he “denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence”.
While the royals are generally popular in Norway, the Høiby case has cast a shadow on their image. And the trial is opening just as his mother faces renewed scrutiny over her contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.
Friday's release of the latest batch of documents from the Epstein files shone an unflattering spotlight on Mette-Marit. They contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported.
The newly released documents, which include email exchanges with Epstein, showed that Mette-Marit borrowed a property of Epstein's in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in early 2013, and the royal house confirmed that she did so through a mutual friend, broadcaster NRK reported.
In a statement emailed by the royal house, Mette-Marit said she “must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly, and for not realising sooner what kind of person he was.”
“I deeply regret this, and it is a responsibility I must bear. I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all,” she said.
"It is simply embarrassing."
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