Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway's new queen, has been released from house arrest in Oslo to attend the funeral of King Harald V.
Høiby was seen in public for the first time since his criminal conviction, joining family members to help transfer the late monarch's coffin through the royal palace into the palace chapel, according to reporting by The Telegraph.
In June, Høiby was sentenced to four years of imprisonment following his conviction for domestic violence and rape. One of the offenses took place in the basement of his stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon, who has since ascended the throne as King Haakon VIII.
Høiby is serving his term under house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet to restrict his movement, rather than inside a correctional facility. Authorities previously granted him permission in August to visit King Harald V in hospital before the monarch passed away.
Conviction and house arrest terms
Electronic monitoring under house arrest is a judicial alternative to prison confinement that relies on electronic transmitters to track an individual's physical location. Under the conditions of his sentence, Høiby must remain within designated boundaries unless granted explicit temporary authorization by judicial officials for exceptional circumstances.
Høiby is the son of Queen Mette-Marit from a relationship prior to her marriage to the Norwegian monarch. Raised within the royal family environment, he holds no official title, receives no state financial support, and performs no public duties on behalf of the Crown.
The Royal Palace in Oslo serves as the principal official residence of the Norwegian monarchy and the central workplace of the sovereign. The palace chapel located within the estate is traditionally used for private royal ceremonies, state religious events, and lying-in-state observances prior to burial.
Monarch's passing and royal succession
King Harald V died on the morning of August 28 after leading the Scandinavian nation for 35 years. His death activated the immediate transition of the monarchy under Norwegian constitutional rules of succession.
Under the succession rules, Høiby's stepfather automatically became the new monarch, taking the regnal name King Haakon VIII. The new king has already taken his constitutional oath of office before parliament.
Norway is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe where royal power is governed by the 1814 constitution. The Storting, Norway's national parliament based in Oslo, formalizes royal succession by receiving the monarch's oath to uphold the nation's law and constitutional order.
Following the conclusion of the funeral services at the palace chapel, Høiby is subject to return to his monitored house arrest to continue serving his sentence.
