5 times Norway’s royal family faced scandal amid Netflix’s Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story buzz

Winding up on Netflix show Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story has again put the Norwegian royal family in the international headlines. The show is all about Princess Märtha Louise and her boyfriend, Durek Verrett, and their non-traditional relationship and why they have been receiving such a giant media spotlight.

Directed by Rebecca Chaiklin, the film explores how the relationship of the couple deteriorates from good royal manners, as well as asks questions of wider significance about the role of the monarchy in today's Norway. It is a denunciation of public and private catastrophes that dogged the family for so long, with the tense equilibrium between heritage and the demands of contemporary society, which the monarchy has to maintain.

Aside from its focus on Princess Märtha Louise's life and Durek Verrett's, however, Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story backtracks to some of the numerous scandals that, in one way or another, have befallen the royal family. The Norwegian royal family has been plagued by dozens of scandals, some of record size, some of comparatively recent manufacture, to contest public opinion and feeling.

The show reminds us that royal life is always in the public eye and that social expectation, choice, and public duty are all connected. In illustrating these issues, the movie shows the dilemma and changing role of the monarchy in the 21st century.

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Check out the 5 times Norway's royal family was at the center of a scandal during the hype surrounding Netflix's Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story

1. Princess Märtha Louise's commercial activities and royal name controversy in Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story

Princess Märtha Louise has been given significant media coverage for her business, which primarily entails serving as a spiritual advisor and clairvoyant. She stepped down from official royal duty in 2022 but gave up using her royal title for commercial gains, but did so under public complaints.

Royal Rebels: A Forbidden Love Story re-dramatizes this scandal, using footage of the princess and Durek Verrett, which has been said to have inspired a re-editing request from the royal family. The segment shows tensions between private enterprise and membership in royal families, and how the princess's move once more fuels public expectation of royal behavior.

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2. Crown Princess Mette-Marit's past associations in Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has also come under public ridicule for her previous associations, living from 2011-2013 with convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein. She openly defended herself and apologized, saying she didn't then know how bad his behavior was.

That was before this case, but also a scandal involving responsibility and judgment leveled at members of the royal family. Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story continues to remind us throughout how the decisions people made years and years ago still influence how the public views the monarchy, yet another affirmation that royals are always being called out for doing something that people believe is the norm.

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3. Marius Borg Høiby's legal issues in Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story

Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby, was in a little bit of legal trouble in 2025 on assault and other charges. Though technically not royal, he is still attached to the royalty who have received a tremendous amount of media coverage.

These indirect scandals are the subject of Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story, which informs us how close family members can affect individuals' perception and image of the royal family. This is a fine example of how an issue concerning a close family member can have public implications and bring more complexity to the monarchy-Norwegian society relationship.

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4. The Bodø affair: A diplomatic historical scandal in Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story

The 1818-1821 Bodø Affair was an unlawful British company trade case in Bodø, Norway, and resulted in diplomatic crises in Norway-United Kingdom relations. Even though the provided historical event was far from the current royal dynasty, it brings into perspective the politics and diplomacy of a millennium-long monarchy culture.

With regard to Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story, history ensures that criticism of the royal behavior, both historic and contemporary, has long been a part of the national consciousness and the public sphere, connecting earlier precedents to present circumstances.

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5. Fading popular support for the Monarchy in Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story

There has been waning support for the Norwegian monarchy this year, from 84% in 2022 to about 68% in 2024. Because of scandals regarding Princess Märtha Louise's commerce endeavors and Marius Borg Høiby's legal cases. Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story captures such public opinion, how personal taste and opinion of the common public coalesce to constitute the institution of the monarchy.

The movie quotes upholding the faith of the people as most pressing for royals now and as something that can be connected to larger questions of duty, usefulness, and in what ways the monarchy institution needs to change to address new purposes in Norwegian society. In presenting Royal Rebels: An Unlikely Love Story, the audience is again reminded of the fine balancing act of the royal family between private choice, public opprobrium, and historical flotsam.

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Hence, documentaries place the problems of the day in the fabric of society and the fabric of history, and create the delicate balance of individual freedom, custom, and public face.

Starting with Princess Märtha Louise's, Durek Verrett's, and others within the royal family scandals, the documentary gives a glimpse into Norway's monarchy issues in today's world.

Also read: Is Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story based on real events? Details explored