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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Amy Mackelden

Crown Princess Mette-Marit Apologizes for Allegedly Aiding Jeffrey Epstein's "Wife-Hunting," After Describing One Royal Wedding as "Boring"

Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit attends the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony on December 10, 2025 in Oslo, Norway.

The release of another batch of Epstein files has seemingly implicated a plethora of high-profile and famous people all over the world. For instance, Sarah Ferguson and her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, are both facing further allegations regarding their connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Now, Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has apologized for her own association with the disgraced financier.

In a statement to Norwegian broadcaster NRK (via Hello! magazine), Mette-Marit explained, "Jeffrey Epstein is responsible for his actions. I must take responsibility for not checking Epstein's background better and for not understanding quickly enough what kind of person he was." She continued, "I deeply regret that, and this is a responsibility I must take. I showed poor judgment and regret ever having any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing."

"I must take responsibility for not checking Epstein's background better." (Image credit: Getty Images)

Emails between Epstein and Mette-Marit were included in the Department of Justice's latest release of files. In an email dated October 21, 2012, the Norwegian princess referred to a recent royal wedding, allegedly telling Epstein (via Hello! magazine), "Boring wedding. Was like some kind of old movie. Where you know the characters are not hanging around for much long[er]."

The suggestion that Mette-Marit didn't have any knowledge of Epstein's criminal background was also brought into question by the content of some of her alleged emails. For instance, in October 2011, Mette-Marit seemingly emailed Epstein saying, "Googled u after last email. Agree didn't look too good."

Queen Sonia, King Harald, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Prince Haakon, and Princess Martha Louise of Norway. (Image credit: Getty Images)

A year later, Epstein told the princess that he was embarking on a "wife-hunting" expedition to France, while reportedly joking that he preferred "Scandinavians," via the Times. Mette-Marit apparently responded by saying, "Paris good for adultery. Scandis better wife material."

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