Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway became visibly emotional during a rare television appearance on March 19, speaking publicly for the first time about her relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The 52-year-old royal, seated alongside her husband Crown Prince Haakon at their Skaugum residence, addressed her connection to the disgraced American financier in an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
"It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully. And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was," she told the outlet.
Her voice breaking, the Crown Princess emphasised that Epstein's victims deserved justice, expressing profound anger that they had not received it.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken on her regret after her association with Jeffrey Epstein was revealed in a new interview
|GETTY
She acknowledged feeling terrible if her association had somehow lent him credibility.
The Crown Princess expressed deep remorse about visiting Epstein's Florida property for several days in January 2013, explaining that a mutual friend had borrowed the residence.
She revealed that processing this stay had consumed much of her emotional energy since learning of Epstein's serious crimes in 2019.
"But Epstein behaved towards me in a way that I didn't like. I can't hide that," she stated regarding the trip.
The royal disclosed that on the final day of her Palm Beach visit, Epstein created a situation that left her feeling so uncomfortable she telephoned her husband's residence.
Crown Prince Haakon confirmed he recalled the conversation, describing how his wife had been placed in circumstances that made her feel unsafe and unwilling to remain there.
Mette-Marit explained she was introduced to Epstein through mutual acquaintances who worked in global health and organisational life, people whose judgement she trusted.
The Crown Princess was named in the US Department of Justice's release of Epstein-related files on January 30, which included email exchanges from October 2012.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit spoke on an uncomfortable interaction with the convicted paedophile
|GETTY
Asked about correspondence regarding Epstein's so-called "wife hunt," she described it as "banter" between friends that was "sleazy."
"I have no desire to have these emails published in the newspaper, of course. I think it's embarrassing," she admitted.
The royal explained she had found her position demanding during that period and mistakenly viewed Epstein as someone trustworthy.
"I feel so manipulated. And when you are manipulated, you don't realise it from the start," she told NRK.
Mette-Marit expressed regret about failing to alert more people to Epstein's character once she recognised he was problematic.
LATEST ROYAL NEWS
"I regret and have thought a lot about the fact that I should have told more people that he was a bad person. Of course, I did it with my closest friends, but I have felt a lot about not warning more people," she said.
The Crown Princess maintained she remained unaware of the abuse but had witnessed Epstein blackmailing others, which she felt should have prompted greater action on her part.
Their contact reportedly spanned from 2011 to 2014, following his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution, including from a minor, for which he served 13 months.
The Royal House of Norway has confirmed she severed ties with Epstein in 2014
|GETTY
The Royal House of Norway has confirmed she severed ties with him in 2014.
The interview was restricted to 20 minutes owing to the Crown Princess's fragile health.
Mette-Marit had not appeared publicly since late January, with the palace confirming this year that her chronic pulmonary fibrosis has worsened.
A palace spokesman announced earlier this week that she would miss a forthcoming state visit from Belgium due to her deteriorating condition.
The Norwegian royal family has faced additional strain in recent months, with Mette-Marit's 29-year-old son Marius Borg Høiby standing trial in Oslo.
Her son from a previous relationship appeared in court in early February facing 38 charges, including four counts of rape, entering not guilty pleas throughout the weeks-long proceedings.
The trial concluded on Thursday, the same day as her interview, though no verdict has been delivered.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter