Son of Norway’s queen Marius Borg Hoiby released from house arrest for King Harald V’s funeral

The coffin of late King Harald V of Norway passed through the royal palace to its chapel on Monday.

Harald died on Friday at the age of 89, with his son Haakon immediately assuming the role of king of Norway.

Haakon’s wife, Mette-Marit, joined the somber procession alongside her husband, her first official appearance since becoming Norway’s new queen.

The roya l couple’s children, Princess Ingrid Alexandria, now heir to the throne, and Prince Sverre Magnus, also walked alongside their grandfather’s coffin.

However, a surprise appearance was made by Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship before her 2001 marriage to king Haakon.

Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, is currently on house arrest after being convicted of two counts of rape and 32 other offences.

He had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations against him, including those ⁠of rape, ‌while admitting ​to some lesser ones, and can appeal the verdict.

Hoiby was sentenced to fours years in prison in June, though the verdict has not yet become final.

Despite being held in pre-trial detention with an electronic ankle monitor, Hoiby was allowed to take part in the procession after approval from prosecutors.

Some royal watchers expressed their outrage at seeing Hoiby at the event, calling it “wrong”.

“The Royal Family are publicly standing by him,” one social media user said.

Haakon has assumed the role of king with not only his stepson’s convictions hanging over his reign but his wife’s ongoing health battles.

Queen Mette-Marit has been largely absent from the public eye following her lung transplant in June.

She was diagnosed in 2018 with pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive disease that damages and scars lung tissue.