Norway's Princess Martha Louise Marries US 'Shaman' Durek Verrett
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- 02 Sep 2024
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Norway's Princess Martha Louise and American guru Durek Verrett married in a private ceremony by the picturesque Geiranger Fjord in western Norway. The event marked the culmination of three days of festivities, with 350 guests, including Swedish and Norwegian royals and various media personalities, in attendance.
Princess Martha Louise, 52, is the eldest child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja and is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne. This marriage is her second; she was previously married to Norwegian author Ari Behn, with whom she has three daughters.
Durek Verrett, 49, identifies as a "sixth-generation shaman" and has made claims about communicating with spirits and healing diseases. His controversial views, particularly regarding health and illness, have attracted criticism, leading to the cancellation of a Norwegian translation of his book due to misinformation concerns.
The couple announced their relationship in 2019 and have faced criticism for leveraging Martha Louise's royal status in commercial ventures. To address this, the princess stepped down from royal duties in 2022, promising to avoid using her royal title for commercial purposes. However, she sparked further controversy earlier this year by labeling gin bottles with her title, a move she later reversed.
Verrett, while joining Norway's extended royal family through this marriage, will not receive the title of prince and will not be part of the core Royal House of Norway. The couple sold exclusive rights to their wedding images and film to "Hello!" magazine and Netflix, a departure from Martha Louise's first wedding, which was broadcast on television.
This marriage continues to highlight the delicate balance between royal traditions and modern personal choices within the Norwegian monarchy.
