Norway's Crown Prince Haakon breaks silence as stepson faces charges over 'serious matter'

Norway's Crown Prince Haakon has broken his silence on reports that his stepson Marius Borg Høiby, 27, was arrested following an "incident in an apartment" on Sunday August 4.

The Crown Prince is in Paris, France for the Olympic Games and he called the incident a "serious matter" and confirmed his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit had stayed home with their son.

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"In our family, as in all families, it is sometimes important to be there," he said. "This time it was me who went while she stayed at home."

The Norwegian palace had previously announced that the Crown Princess would "postpone her departure to Paris for the time being".

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The Crown Prince would not answer any questions directly related to the case but a translation of his comments reads: "It is a serious matter when the police are involved, as they are. At the same time, I do not think it is right for me to get involved in the case now."

Marius allegedly spent more than 30 hours in police custody before being released on Monday afternoon. He faces preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage after he allegedly attacked a woman in her 20s.

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Marius is the firstborn son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from her relationship with convicted felon Morten Borg. He is not in line to the Norwegian throne and quit public life in 2017 to pursue studies in the US.

Mette-Marit met the Crown Prince at a festival, and they arrived in 2001. They have since welcomed two children, the future queen Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.

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In an open letter published on the palace's website when Marius moved to America, Mette-Marit said of her son, who was 20 at the time: "I was 23-years-old and got a big responsibility. It has been the greatest gift in my life.

"Marius has always had a role that has been difficult to define in the public sphere. He is and will be an exceptionally important part of our family. Marius became a symbol of the unusual choice we made when we got married, at the same time he will not carry public duties like his siblings. He should not have a public role and is not a public figure."