Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has given a profound apology to Norwegians for her friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after it emerged they had exchanged messages for three years.
I also apologize for the situation in which I have placed the Royal House, especially the King and Queen, she said in a palace statement after days of mounting pressure to address the issue.
Harald V and Queen Sonja, who are both 88, have not commented on the revelations.
The King met Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Friday, alongside Crown Prince Haakon, who told reporters later that his wife wanted to speak: But right now she can't, and I also tell her she is not allowed to.
Hundreds of emails from 2011-14 involving Epstein and the crown princess came to light in the cache of files published by the US justice department a week ago.
Some of the exchanges apparently involve plans to meet in person and reveal she spent four days at Epstein's Palm Beach house in Florida while he was not there.
The warm nature of the correspondence has come as a shock to Norwegians, and she appears to have been aware he had already served a jail term in 2008: Googled u after last email, she wrote in October 2011. Agree didn't look too good.
Although an initial statement was released last Saturday, in which the crown princess expressed regret and admitted poor judgement, the palace had been pressed to provide further details of how well she knew Epstein.
In a statement on Friday, the palace said the crown princess was deeply saddened that she had failed to realize early enough what kind of person he was.
She wanted to provide a more detailed explanation but was in a very difficult situation and needed time to gather herself.
It is important for me to say I am sorry to all those I have disappointed. Some of the content in the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be.
Mette-Marit already had a four-year-old boy, Marius Borg Høiby, from an earlier brief relationship when she married Norway's Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.
Her first child Marius Borg Høiby is now 29 and at the centre of a high-profile seven-week trial which began this week. He faces 38 charges, including four counts of rape which he denies.
Although neither part of the royal family nor a public figure, he has grown up within his step-father Crown Prince Haakon's family, alongside half-sister Princess Ingrid Alexandra and half-brother Prince Sverre Magnus.
Crown Prince Haakon has stated that in light of recent events, the family must focus on care and support for each other, especially for Mette-Marit, who is unwell and facing significant health challenges.
