The royal families of Norway and the United Kingdom faced a wave of criticism on Monday following the publication of new documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein. The files indicate that members of both dynasties, including Norway’s future queen, maintained close contacts with him even after he had been convicted of sexual crimes.
According to the materials, Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, continued friendly relations with Epstein for years after he had been placed on the sex offender registry and sentenced to prison. By that point, some of his actions had already attracted widespread public attention. In 2008, he was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Epstein’s ties to both women had previously been the subject of public reporting, and the correspondence contains no indication of their involvement in criminal activity. The newly released letters, however, add fresh detail to the established record and in some cases suggest a closer relationship than had previously been assumed.
The documents consist of partially redacted copies of emails exchanged between Epstein and accounts that appear to have belonged to Ferguson and Norway’s crown princess. They were released by the Department of Justice last week as part of a sweeping disclosure of about three million files.
The correspondence, which refers to visits to Epstein’s residence and includes jokes about his relationships with women, gives the impression that the Norwegian crown princess was closer to him than the royal court had previously acknowledged. The emails were sent between 2011 and 2013 from an account titled H.K.H. Kronprinsessen—Norwegian for “Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess”—and at times address Epstein in notably warm terms.
In a statement released on Monday, Crown Princess Mette-Marit said she takes “responsibility for not having examined Epstein’s past thoroughly enough” and expressed regret “for any contact with Epstein.” She added that she feels “deep sympathy and solidarity” with his victims.
A spokesperson for the Norwegian royal family declined to comment further.
The release of the letters, which came just days before the crown princess’s son is due to appear in court on a rape charge, has deepened the crisis surrounding the Norwegian monarchy.
“I understand why many people reacted strongly to the revelations contained in the documents,” Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Store, said on Sunday—“so did I.”
“Crown Princess Mette-Marit herself has acknowledged that she made a serious error of judgment, and I agree,” he added.
Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, in London. 2025.
The emails were sent from an account identified only by the name “Sarah,” with some personal details redacted in the released materials. Key elements, however—including references to a “duchess”—indicate that the correspondence involved Sarah Ferguson.
In one 2010 email that appears to have been written by Ferguson, Epstein is described as a “legend,” followed by the line: “I am at your service. Just marry me.” In another message from 2009, he is called “the brother I always dreamed of.” A further email from the same year suggests that Epstein paid for flights for “the duchess and the girls”—apparently Ferguson and her daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. Other messages give the impression that Ferguson turned to Epstein for urgent financial assistance to cover rent after a failed business venture.
In 2011, Ferguson had already acknowledged that Epstein helped her settle debts and apologized for a “terrible error of judgment,” expressing regret over any contact with Jeffrey Epstein.
Representatives of the British royal family did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Ferguson herself were also unavailable for comment.
In Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s association with Epstein had been known previously. In 2019, the royal court told the country’s leading financial newspaper that during the period of contact she had not been aware of the scale or nature of the crimes for which he had been convicted.
The newly released documents, however, point to a closer relationship than had been acknowledged earlier. Emails that appear to have been written by the crown princess—sometimes signed “Mm” or “Mette m”—discuss shopping, book recommendations, holidays, illnesses, and social engagements.
In correspondence from 2013, Epstein’s team discussed plans for a visit by a certain “Mette” to the “PB house”—his residence in Palm Beach, Florida—as well as arranging for a driver to meet her at Miami airport. Many of the emails consistently express warmth toward Epstein.
“You’re such a sweetheart,” reads one message sent from the H.K.H. Kronprinsessen account. Another says: “Will you come by soon??? I miss my crazy friend.”
The correspondence is also rife with jokes about Epstein’s pursuit of relationships with women. “I’m looking for a wife,” he wrote in 2012. “Paris turns out to be interesting, but I prefer Scandinavians.” A reply from the H.K.H. Kronprinsessen account said: “Paris is good for affairs,” adding: “Scandinavians are better suited for the role of wife.”
One email from 2011 suggests that the crown princess may have become aware of Epstein’s misconduct, though it is unclear what exactly was meant. “I googled you after your last email,” the message says. “I agree, it didn’t look very good :)”.
The latest revelations have once again put Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s public standing at risk. Her engagement to Crown Prince Haakon once shocked Norway, and just days before their wedding in 2001 she publicly apologized for her “wild past” and condemned drug use.
Since then, she has managed to win over parts of the public, but her ties to Epstein have once again placed her under intense scrutiny. “It was not only the crown princess who showed extraordinarily poor judgment, but the entire state apparatus, which put Norway’s international reputation at risk,” wrote Ole-Jorgen Schulsrud-Hansen, royal correspondent for Norway’s TV2 broadcaster, last week.
The crown princess’s son, Marius Borg Hoiby, who holds no title and has no official royal duties, is due to appear in court on Tuesday. He faces multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. His lawyer said that Hoiby “does not admit to any wrongdoing in most of the cases—particularly those involving sexual violence and abuse.”
Marius Borg Hoiby was four years old when his mother married Crown Prince Haakon, who became his stepfather, in 2001.