Mette-Marit’s Epstein emails plunge Norway’s royal family into crisis

The news was published by the US Department of Justice on Friday evening – along with millions of other files, including court documents, investigative documents or medical certificates, as well as thousands of photos and videos. The name of the Norwegian Crown Princess appears hundreds of times.

Good relationship

This caused a real scandal in her Scandinavian homeland: That was true it became known in 2019 that the Wife of Crown Prince Haakon Had contact with the multimillionaire who died in the same year. At the time, however, it was said that she knew nothing about Epstein’s past.

What exactly she found during her Google search in 2011 is still unknown today. One thing is certain: Epstein’s conviction sexual abuse of minors in 2008 was publicly documented – but Mette-Marit did not break off contact.

Intense friendship?

On the contrary: the files now published reveal that Epstein and Mette-Marit had a longer and more intense friendship maintained than previously known. The 52-year-old princess shared details from her family life (e.g. whether it was “inappropriate for a mother” to propose to her 15-year-old son a wall poster of “two naked women carrying a surfboard”) and from everyday royal life, such as the “boring” wedding of the heir to the Luxembourg throne.

When Epstein wrote to her in the fall of 2012 that he was in Paris and looking for a woman (“but I prefer Scandinavia”), Mette-Marit replied: “Paris is good for Infidelities. Scandinavians make better wives.”

She never held back on compliments: In the fall of 2012, she described Epstein as “charming.” In 2013 she wrote: “I miss you, my crazy friend.” The files also show that they… four days at Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion spent.

Crisis for the royal family

Despite the Crown Princess’s prompt apology, who spoke of a “simply embarrassing” action, royal experts believe there was massive damage to the reputation of Norway’s royal family and state institutions as a whole.

In the recently published files, other high-ranking Norwegian politicians are also linked to Epstein: including the former foreign minister and current head of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Børge Brendethe former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland and a Norwegian diplomatic couple whose children were each to receive five million dollars according to the multimillionaire’s will.

They all regret their connection to Epstein. They had no knowledge of his illegal activities. A petition is already calling for Jagland to be excluded from the The Labor Party. Norway’s Greens are calling for an independent commission of inquiry in parliament.

Russia connection

They are still unclear Epstein’s Russia connections. He is said to have promised Russian women money payments or contacts in the modeling or financial industry: In addition to the “beautiful” 26-year-old Russian woman, Epstein Prince Andrew In 2010 and a Russian “recruiter” who worked in a Zurich bank and repeatedly made suggestions of “good girls” to Epstein, there is also talk of a “Russian model contest” in which Epstein is said to have had “access to all pre-selections, votes, files and photos”.

In addition, the chats are about 2012 Ilja Ponomarioua Russian opposition figure and then deputy of the State Duma. He and “his very smart and sweet girlfriend” are mentioned in the chats as the main organizers of the political resistance against the Kremlin leader Wladimir Putin Ponomaryov could “replace Putin and become president himself.” Ponomaryov has opposed the Russian annexation of Crimea placed, is in the Ukraine fled and joined the Ukrainian armed forces after the attack on Ukraine. Legal proceedings are ongoing against him in Russia.

Speculation about Epstein’s connection to Russia had already arisen in November of the previous year: Politico had reported on Epstein’s claims that he had given Russia information about the US President Donald Trump given. In the new files – which include not only chat histories, but also shared media reports or FBI briefings – Putin is mentioned 1,036 times, “Russia” appears 5,782 times, and “Moscow” 9,505 times.