Norway Princess weds California shaman
‘SPIRITUAL COUPLE’ Princess Martha Louise of Norway and American self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett arrive at their wedding party at Hotel Unio in Geiranger village on Saturday.—Agence France-Presse
OSLO, Norway — Norwegian Princess Martha Louise married American self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett on Saturday, a union of two alternative therapy devotees that has raised eyebrows in Norway.
Martha Louise, a 52-year-old divorcee, claims to be a clairvoyant who can speak with angels, a gift she has shared—and profited from—in books and courses.
Verrett, 49, calls himself a “sixth-generation shaman” and sells pricey gold medallions that he says save lives.
READ: The princess and the shaman: the romance Norway doesn’t love
“I’m very spiritual, it’s just so nice to be with a person who embraces it,” Martha Louise said on Instagram after the couple announced their engagement in June 2022.
Article continues after this advertisementThe pair tied the knot Saturday afternoon at a hotel in the hills of Geiranger, a picturesque village on the shores of a fjord on Norway’s west coast.
Article continues after this advertisementThe ceremony took place under a white tent, concealing the party, with the couple having sold exclusive photo and video rights to the ceremony.
Martha Louise wore a traditional white wedding dress and a tiara given to her by her grandfather, King Olav, on her 18th birthday, according to photos taken by Norwegian press.
Verrett wore a black suit with a gold cummerbund.
Aside from 87-year-old King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon who wore dark suits, the royal family was dressed in traditional Norwegian dress, called bunad, made of embroidery and wool fabrics.
Commercial gain
According to Verrett, the nuptials are actually a renewal of the couple’s vows.
The spiritual guide from California, who counts Hollywood celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas among his followers, claims he was a pharaoh in a previous life and Martha Louise was his wife.
The couple’s eccentricity has ruffled feathers in no-nonsense Norway, as has their disregard for science and use of royal ties for commercial gain.
To avoid confusion over her role, Martha Louise relinquished her royal duties in 2022 to avoid confusion over her role, keeping her title but agreeing not to use it for commercial endeavors.
Yet she has violated that agreement several times since then, most recently when she and Verrett released a “wedding gin” for sale in Norway that bore her title on the label.
“Seeing as the agreement has not been respected, it’s time to take away Martha Louise’s princess title before King Harald sees his life’s work destroyed even further,” historian and royal expert Trond Noren Isaksen wrote in an op-ed in July.
Falling popularity
The couple has also angered Norwegian media by signing deals with “Hello!” magazine and Netflix for exclusive coverage of the wedding.
Martha Louise has three daughters from her first marriage to Norwegian author Ari Behn, who killed himself three years after their 2016 divorce.
She is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne; her younger brother Crown Prince Haakon is due one day to succeed King Harald.
Norway’s royal family has been largely spared from scandal—until recently.
Martha Louise and Verrett have contributed to an erosion of public support for the monarchy, from 81 percent in 2017 to 68 percent, a poll by public broadcaster NRK showed this week.
A recent scandal involving the 27-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit—from a relationship prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon—has also contributed.
Four in 10 Norwegians said their view of the royal family had grown more negative in the past year, with many citing Martha Louise, Verrett or Hoiby as the reason, the poll showed.
Martha Louise has accused the media of pursuing a witch hunt against her.
But it is Verrett who has received the most criticism, labeled a “charlatan and a quack” in the press.
In one of his books, he suggested that cancer was a choice, and recommended exercises to remove “imprints” from women’s vaginas left by previous sexual partners.
Meanwhile, King Harald—who fought for years to be allowed to marry Queen Sonja, a commoner—has said little about his future son-in-law, referring only to a “culture clash.”
He has described him as “a great guy and very funny.”
“We’ve agreed to disagree” on some things, the king said in November 2022. —Agence France-Presse
