Marius Borg Hoiby allowed to attend Harald funeral

Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norway's queen, will be allowed to leave house arrest to attend the funeral of King Harald V, police said Monday.

Hoiby, 29, was sentenced in June to four years in prison for two rapes, a conviction he is appealing. He is serving the sentence under house arrest with an ankle tag while awaiting his appeals trial.

Police prosecutor Oda Karterud said the public prosecutor found grounds to grant Hoiby's requests for leave in connection with Harald's death.

“Leave has been granted... for the funeral on September 9,” Karterud said.

Hoiby was also given permission to attend the transfer of the king's remains to the palace chapel on Monday evening. He had earlier been granted dispensation to visit Harald in hospital before the king died aged 89 on Friday.

Hoiby was born before Queen Mette-Marit's marriage to Harald's son, King Haakon. Besides the two rape counts, he was convicted of 32 other charges, including violence towards a former partner. He was acquitted of two other rapes.