Jailed stepson Crown Prince Haakon stains family name: 'Divorce to save the monarchy?'

When Prince Haakon married the single mother Mette-Marit, he got a stepson named Marius. Raised in the protective and luxurious atmosphere of the Norwegian palace, you would expect the boy to be well-educated and behaved. Not so much in this case, though.

Prince Haakon of Norway raised Mette-Marit's son Marius (born in 1997) as if he was one of his own. After he married Mette-Marit in 2001, the couple had two more children, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus.

Marius, who is seven years older than his sister Ingrid Alexandra, has not been an ideal representation of the royal palace. He has squandered money, been accused of serious crimes, and had to go into pre-trial detention.

Several European newspapers claim that Marius' alleged crimes are endangering the reputation of the royal family and even the marriage of his mother and stepfather.

Mette-Marit and Haakon of Norway have been married for over twenty years. In 2001, the two celebrated a royal fairytale wedding.

Many Norwegians were not so excited at the time. Mette-Marit, a middle-class, single mother: would she be a good Queen Consort?

Haakon overcame all doubts and integrated his stepson Marius, who was four years old at the time of the wedding, into the royal family.

Fast forward 24 years and Haakon's stepson is casting a shadow over the royal family. According to the Swedish newspaper 'Svensk Damtidning', Marius is said to have squandered his entire fortune within the last two years.

Marius allegedly had 2.1 million Norwegian kroner (around 1.8 million euros) in his account two years ago. Now, there's only 4,400 euros left, according to the Norwegian newspaper 'Nettavisen'.

But that's not all: Marius is currently being prosecuted for allegations of property damage, physical assault, r a p e, and domestic abuse.

As Merkur reports, the Oslo District Court decided on November 20 that Haakon's stepson had to be remanded in custody for one week. He was released from prison on November 27.

Prince Haakon went public and said: "These are serious allegations that Marius is now facing. Today, of course, we are thinking of everyone who is affected by this."

German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel cites royal expert Tove Taalesen in saying that this has been a difficult situation for Mette-Marit, as well as the entire royal family.

Taalesen criticizes the royal couple for not commenting more clearly on the allegations. She says in the publication Merkur that it seems the couple is trying to distance themselves from the problem.

However, it is nearly impossible to distance oneself from such serious crimes by a close member of the family, Taalesen says.

According to the Norwegian magazine Nettavisen, Taalesen implies that perhaps only a divorce can save the reputation of the royal family.

"The Crown Prince couple may have to sacrifice their relationship to preserve the Norwegian monarchy. Could it end in divorce to save the monarchy?"

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed about royals and entertainment!