Just to take stock here: If I remember it right - please correct me, if I am wrong - the whole story began, when a friend of a girlfriend of Marius called the police, after he had hit her and demolished the interior of her flat. A friend and not the victim herself! Perhaps the poor girl knew about Marius' status in the Royal Family and was too scared...
But if this friend of the girlfriend had not called the police, everything could have go on perfectly "normal" and we would know nothing. I wonder, if this friend is identical with the person Marius has threatened with death.
Sounds plausible.
And yes, things would have gone on as "normal" until at some point Marius would inevitable have done something that would have blown the lid off, as is the case now. And that something could very well be more dramatic because as I see it Marius life and behavior was escalating - until he would have hit reality like it was brick wall.
The worst case scenarios of course being that he killed or injured someone or killed himself.
Marius getting away with beating up this third victim would only be a reprieve.
We can of course speculate as to how even more damaging this would have been for the NRF had this happened in a couple of years, say shortly after Haakon became king.
Right now, with Haakon as CP, there should still be time for the NRF to do some serious damage control, if done professionally.
At present with Haakon as CP this is bad enough but without a King Harald around to dampen the fury out of the deep respect and even veneration he enjoys, it would no doubt be a lot worse.
Everything hinges on three things:
A) What has emerged about Marius is bad enough as is! If even more and perhaps even worse things emerge, it is bound to get worse and more damaging for the NRF, Haakon and MM in particular.
B) To what extent did MM and Haakon cover up for Marius and what did they close their eyes for? One of the more serious questions being: Did Juliane Snekkerstad ask for help? She was after all with Marius for four years and that makes her almost a daughter-in-law. So if it emerges that she asked for help and was ignored it would be close to disastrous for Haakon and MM's reputation.
C) What happens now? If Marius continue on his self-destructive path, a lot will depend on how Haakon and MM will deal with that. If they continue to be in a state of denial, or try to keep shielding him and allow him to keep on living his extravagant lifestyle, it will be pretty destructive for Haakon and MM as well.
I believe that once the trial is over, Haakon and MM needs to go public with their own thoughts and despair and explain why they did as they did - and take responsibility. I.e. doing a big public Mea Culpa!
They also need to cut off Marius. He cannot live on a royal estate. He cannot have his unfortunate friends anywhere near the NRF. He cannot attend any public royal events whatsoever. He's too tainted. He should be treated like a distant cousin.
Because Marius will not change. I don't believe that. I
hope he will, of course I do. To be honest I think he's too stupid to change. On top of that I think he's too entitled and too far out to change. He'll probably end up dying from an overdose one day or kill himself in a car crash.
I have problems seeing how he would change now. If he is cut off and left to fend for himself, he will have to find the means to continue the lifestyle he is used to. And Marius working 9-5? Yeah right! So he will have to find an alternative income...
And if he is supported financially, what should induce him to start a normal "boring" life?
I'm very pessimistic about Marius. I hope it will somehow be possible to reach him and turn him around, but I think the odds are against that happening.
Mette Marit. I cannot see Haakon divorcing Mette Marit. That would also be a cruel move IMO, and from a PR view pretty destructive as well for the NRF, Haakon in particular.
I believe MM should retire. She can use her illness as a plausible (and face-saving) excuse. Everybody can pretend they believe her and move on. I mean when she is talking about women's rights and domestic abuse in the future she'll risk tomatoes being thrown at her. Her credibility is in tatters. Everything she has build up since she married Haakon is basically being torn down around her these days and considering her illness I don't think she has enough time left. It would take years of hard work to rebuild her reputation. So better let her retire quietly - that I also think would be the most helpful move for Haakon and Ingrid.
Haakon. Once he has found a spine somewhere he might just as well learn how to put it into use. Because he's going to need it! When the trial is over and we have an even clearer picture of what happened and who knew and did what, Haakon will most likely have run out of credit in regards to the Norwegians and he will have to work hard for the rest of his life to restore that credit. - While at the same time having to deal with a Marius that IMO is likely to continue his downward spiral and ML and her shaman. If you think the two of them will hold back and stop pushing the boundaries and adhere to the agreed conditions, well, then I've got some goldmines I'd like to sell you.
Ironically I can see Mette Marit divorcing Haakon. Not the other way around, that I don't believe for a second. MM is obviously very protective of Marius, even to beyond reason. How will she react to the NRF and perhaps a king Haakon, having to impose sanctions of some sort (including denying funds and not inviting him for major family events) on Marius? Will she more or less grudgingly accept it or could it end up with her divorcing Haakon out of sheer frustration or even as an ultimate threat?
Ingrid too will also have to make a choice:
Is she Marius kid-sister? With the close bonds there obviously are between them remaining un-severed?
Or is she a future queen, who will have to put a considerable distance between herself and Marius?
Who will she remain most loyal to? Her family, with all the faults they have and have made. Or the NRF and the dynasty, the monarchy, Norway.
So far Ingrid is untainted by Marius and she is the best hope there is for the monarchists in Norway. But that comes with a price, because she too will have to take side, and within the next few years what side that is, must be crystal clear.
If it turns out that Ingrid has inherited her father's spine and her mother's liberal interpretation of what are acceptable associates and behavior, then the Norwegian monarchy only has Magnus left... There will be no more cards to play.
So sorry Ingrid, you are going to have to mature even faster than you already must.
