Days before the verdict for his trial regarding 40 charges, including rape, a Norwegian appeal court has rejected Marius Borg Hoiby's request to be released from custody to comfort his ailing mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.The ruling overturned an earlier one from a lower court, which declared that the 29-year-old should be allowed to leave custody to tend to his seriously ill mother, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive disease that damages and scars lung tissue, and has recently been placed on a lung transplant list.Hoiby's lawyers claimed that Mette-Marit's son from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon needed to be closer to his mother, given his concerns that every visit might be the 'last time' he sees her.Earlier this month, Oslo District Court granted Hoiby's release given his mother's condition, but a higher court overturned the decision on Wednesday due to the 'strong degree of probability' that he would commit crimes, NRK reported. Hoiby is due to receive his verdict on June 15.It's just the latest turn of events for the 'black sheep' of Norway's royal family, after he was arrested on August 4, 2024, on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend the night prior.Hoiby has been charged with 40 offences, including rape and assault, making death threats, assaulting a public official and violating the road traffic act. He is said to have 'strongly denied' the 'essentials' of the allegations against him.At the same time, Mette-Marit has faced backlash after her bond with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein came to light, with the Epstein files revealing that frequent communication between her and Epstein occurred long after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting an underage girl.Additional drama is simultaneously unfolding for the royal family with the upcoming arrival of a second reality TV show by King Harald and Queen Sonja's eldest daughter, Princess Martha Louise, and her 'shaman' husband, Durek Verrett. Marius Borg Hoiby has been denied release from custody, which he requested to tend to his seriously ill mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit (pictured together in 2022)The couple's first Netflix show, Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, took an 'intimate look' at the love story between Martha Louise and the Hollywood 'half-reptilian and bisexual' shaman.The film followed the couple as they 'navigated a swirl of controversy' and prepared for their wedding, which took place in the picturesque small town of Geiranger in 2024.In a move dubbed 'Norway's Megxit', Martha Louise relinquished her royal role in November 2022.Eyebrows were raised when the princess first began dating Verrett, who holds some controversial and pseudoscientific views, including that cancer in children can be caused by 'being unhappy'.The couple were introduced by friends in 2019 and have claimed to have known each other in a past life, specifically from ancient Egypt.Their latest reality TV venture adds to what has been one of the toughest periods for the Norwegian throne in modern times.Mette-Marit's eldest son went on trial in Oslo in February for multiple offences, including charges of rape.He has been under scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 on preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway's health has deteriorated - and she is on the lung transplant list (pictured in May)Challenges intensified earlier this year again, when the future Queen's seemingly intimate bond with her 'sweetheart', Jeffrey Epstein, came to light - with one email released in the Epstein Files suggesting she was still in contact with the late paedophile financier just months before his death. WHAT IS PULMONARY FIBROSIS? Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult.It's not clear what causes it, but it usually affects people around 70-75 years of age and is rare in people under 50.Several treatments can help reduce the rate at which IPF gets worse, but there's currently no treatment that can stop or reverse the scarring of the lungs.The symptoms of IPF tend to develop gradually and get slowly worse over time.Symptoms can include:Shortness of breathA persistent dry coughTirednessLoss of appetite and weight lossRounded and swollen fingertips also called clubbed fingersThere is no cure and it's very difficult to predict how long someone with IPF will survive at the time of diagnosis.Regular monitoring over time can indicate whether it's getting worse quickly or slowly.Source: NHS Choices While it was known that the Princess had corresponded with Epstein, the intimacy of the emails blows apart any suggestion that the pair were mere associates, with the late paedophile referring to her as 'twisted' and 'not your typical royal'.The princess was forced to apologise in February after she faced scrutiny over her contact with the dead sex offender.Last month, she made a rare public appearance for the constitution parade - one of the first times the royal has been spotted wearing an oxygen mask to aid her breathing at a public event.Together with her husband, 52, and son, Prince Sverre Magnus, 20, the family watched the children's parade from their residence, Skaugum in Oslo, Norway.The couple's daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, meanwhile, has cut her bachelor's degree short at the University of Sydney as her mother's health worsens - and her grandmother, Queen Sonja, was diagnosed with heart failure last month.The 22-year-old moved to Australia to study a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney. Her degree is focused on international relations and political economy.She was seven months into the three-year degree and had been staying at the prestigious St Andrew's College, which costs up to $45,000 a year.The Princess has maintained a low profile since beginning her studies in Australia, with the Royal House of Norway last year requesting that she have a 'normal' university experience.It is unclear when, or if, Princess Ingrid will return to resume her degree.Sign up for our Palace Confidential newsletter, direct from our royal experts – and we'll also send you an exclusive article on what the Queen really thought of Meghan. Get it HERE.