Arrested son of Norwegian princess suspected of second rape

The eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit is suspected of a second rape, police said on Wednesday, two days after his arrest over another allegation of sexual assault.

Born of a relationship prior to Mette-Marit's marriage to heir Prince Haakon, Marius Borg Hoiby was arrested on Monday evening on suspicion of one case of rape.

Since the investigation unearthed a second allegation, a lawyer for the force said, police were requesting the 27-year-old be remanded in custody.

"It involves sexual intercourse without consent with a woman incapable of resisting the act," police lawyer Andreas Kruszewski said on the sidelines of a detention hearing.

Investigators searched and seized items from the Borg Hoiby's home.

The rape charge comes after he was accused of bodily harm following a late night row on August 4 at the Oslo apartment of a woman he was having a relationship with, police said.

Norwegian media reported that police found a knife stuck in one of the woman's bedroom walls at the time.

Borg Hoiby was arrested again in September for breaching a restraining order.

When he was detained on Monday he was in a car with the alleged victim of the August incident, according to police.

Borg Hoiby was raised by the royal couple alongside his step-siblings Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18.

Unlike them however he has no official public role.