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Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is set to marry American shaman Durek Verrett on August 31. However, the nuptials have become the focus of controversy with other members of the Norwegian royal family.
The 52-year-old daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway is to marry a shaman named Durek Verrett at the Union Hotel in Geiranger, a town in western Norway.
The celebrations will take place over three days surrounded by 350 guests, including other European royals and reportedly Gwyneth Paltrow. The dress code calls for “sexy and cool” attire, while a Netflix camera crew will be among the few media outlets granted exclusive access to the wedding.
In fact, it is the limited public access to Princess Märtha Louise and Durek's wedding that has sparked some backlash from her own royal family.
But controversy surrounding the couple has been circulating long before their nuptials were announced.
Who is Princess Märtha Louise of Norway?
The Norwegian royal is fourth in line to the throne. Märtha Louise was born on 22 September 1971 to then Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja. The royal couple also had a son, Crown Prince Haakon, the current heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.
Märtha Louise is a certified physiotherapist and clairvoyant, and claims to be able to communicate with animals and angels. In fact, Märtha Louise opened her own alternative therapy center called Astarte Education (named after one of the oldest goddesses in the Middle East) to teach others healing techniques and how to make contact with celestial beings. In a 2007 interview with NRK, the Norwegian public broadcaster, she described her relationship with angels as “creatures of light, who gave her a sense of strong presence and strong, loving support.”
However, Märtha Louise faced a lot of criticism for her professional endeavours, as well as calls for her to give up her royal title. In 2019, Norway's royal court confirmed that she would no longer use her princess title during her business activities. Just three years later, the Norwegian Royal House announced that she was giving up her royal role.
“Princess Märtha Louise wishes to make a clearer distinction between her own activities and her relationship with the Norwegian Royal Family. The Princess has therefore decided, after consultation with His Majesty the King and other close members of her family, that she will not be performing official duties for the Royal Family at this time,” the palace said in a statement.
Although she renounced her official royal duties, Märtha Louise was allowed to retain her title of princess. Despite having renounced her royal role, she remains fourth in succession to the Norwegian throne.
In May 2002, she married her first husband, writer Ari Behn. The former couple had three daughters: Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19, and Emma Tallulah, 15. Her daughters are private citizens and have no official royal titles.
Märtha Louise and her husband announced their separation in 2016. A year later, the couple officially divorced and now share custody of their daughters. The author committed suicide in December 2019.
Who is her fiancé, Durek Verrett?
In May 2019, the princess revealed that she was in a relationship with US citizen Durek Verrett, a self-proclaimed shaman. In an Instagram post announcing their relationship, Märtha Louise seemingly preempted potential criticism when she wrote in the caption: “To those of you who feel the need to criticise: Calm down. It is not for you to choose for me or judge me. Shaman Durek is simply a man I love spending time with and who fulfils me.”
The couple later announced that they were engaged in June 2022. However, that hasn't stopped people from sharing their thoughts on their unconventional relationship.
The 49-year-old California native, whose real name is Derek Verrett, works as an alternative therapist. On his website, Durek describes himself as “a sixth-generation shaman” and lists Nina Dobrev and Gwyneth Paltrow as some of his most notable clients. He offers private, one-hour sessions on his website for $2,000 in person or $1,500 virtually.
In 2019 he published the book Spirit Hacking: Shamanic keys to recover your personal power, transform yourself and illuminate the worldHowever, upon publication, the book raised questions for its unconventional medical theories. It was even reported that its Norwegian publisher, Cappelen Damm, dropped it due to its unsubstantiated claims.
“Our conclusion is that the book should not have been taken for granted, it will not be published and the publisher has informed the rights holders about this,” the Oslo-based publisher said in a press release at the time, according to the Daily Mail.
According to the outlet, Verrett suggested in the book that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness. Verrett also claimed in the book that he had risen from the dead, that he predicted the 9/11 attacks in the United States two years before they happened, and that casual sex attracts underground spirits who leave an impression inside women's vaginas, for whose “cleansing” he sells exercises.
Verrett was previously engaged to Hank Greenberg, a massage therapist, from 2007 to 2015. In 2012, her sister donated a kidney to her.
What is the controversy surrounding your wedding?
Before their wedding, the couple decided to give only Hello! The Norwegian magazine gave her exclusive access to the ceremony, causing a stir among the Norwegian press, which is normally granted access to royal weddings.
“Here, a key member of the Norwegian royal family is breaking what has been a long and good tradition,” Reidun Kjelling Nybø of the Norwegian Publishers Association told NRK, according to an English translation. People“The major events have been documented by major Norwegian media outlets such as NTB and NRK, on behalf of the entire press, which has passed on the images to the people and to other newsrooms that want them, including foreign ones.”
As a result of the exclusivity decision, Guri Varpe, head of communications for the Norwegian Royal House, told NRK that members of the royal family will refrain from being photographed and filmed by media without access.
The public and the press will be able to take photographs of the princess and her groom outside the wedding, and “one or more photos” of the couple with their family will be released afterwards, NRK reported. The wedding photos themselves will be the exclusive property of Hello!
Despite the criticism, Märtha Louise and Verrett have stated that they are “drawing a line” to focus on their future. “We know that some of the press will intensify the lies about us, as our wedding approaches. As we prepare for our big day, we are dedicated to taking care of each other, prioritising our mental wellbeing and love for each other, and so we have decided that from this day forward, we will not comment on anything that the press throws at us,” the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post in April.
“We are focusing on creating a wedding that reflects the depth of our love and is filled with excitement and joy for the celebrations ahead. Thank you for your understanding as we embark on this beautiful journey together, celebrating our love that ends at our wedding in Geiranger.”
