The eldest daughter of the Norwegian royal couple married American Durek Verrett, a self-proclaimed “shaman”, this Saturday. A colorful union that is disturbing the kingdom.
Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise married a self-proclaimed “shaman” on Saturday, the American Durek Verrett, a colorful union that has caused a stir in the kingdom.
She, the eldest daughter of the Norwegian royal couple, aged 52, claims to have a form of clairvoyance and to be able to communicate with angels, a gift that she has monetised in courses and books; he, aged 49, claims to be a “sixth generation shaman” who sells a supposedly life-saving medallion for a high price.
“I’m very spiritual, it’s so good to be with someone who supports that,” the princess confided on Instagram in June 2022, a few days after announcing their engagement.
Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett said yes in the afternoon in the enchanting setting of a hotel on the heights of Geiranger, a tourist village nestled at the bottom of a fjord on the west coast.
One hour late
The ceremony took place under a large white tent, under which guests and the bride and groom entered behind large white sheets, the bride and groom having sold the exclusive photo and video rights for the ceremony.
Märtha Louise arrived wearing a traditional white wedding dress and a tiara given to her by her grandfather, King Olav, for her 18th birthday, according to photos Norwegian media managed to capture several moments. Durek is wearing a black suit with a gold belly sash.
The two suitors were married at 2:30 p.m. according to the liturgy of the Lutheran Church of Norway, according to the daily VG, in a ceremony that started an hour late.
Apart from King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon in dark suits, the royal family wore the traditional Norwegian costume, the bunad, made of embroidery and woolen fabrics.
Remarriage
After the cocktail, the approximately 350 guests, including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel, were invited to a gala dinner.
On Friday, guests had the privilege of a boat trip in the fjord followed by a salsa evening.
The princess and the “shaman”: in Norway, the marriage of Märtha Louise causes scandal
The couple have raised eyebrows in the Norwegian media by granting exclusive access to royal magazine Hello! and Netflix for photos and video of their wedding.
A marriage? More like a remarriage, according to Durek Verrett: the spiritual guide claims to have been a pharaoh and to have had Märtha Louise as his wife in a previous life.
Role confusion
This eccentricity irritates in this wise Scandinavian country, as does the couple’s propensity to make money by misusing science and by diverting their membership of the royal family for commercial purposes.
To end the confusion of roles, Märtha Louise had to give up all her official functions in 2022.
But she has been caught out several times since, including at the wedding when she put up for sale a bottle of gin that explicitly referred to her status as princess.
“Since the agreement is not being respected, it is time to strip Märtha Louise of the title of princess before King Harald sees his life’s work being further damaged,” argued historian Trond Norén Isaksen, a specialist in royalty, in an article in early July.
Edible popularity
Mother of three daughters from a previous marriage to Norwegian writer Ari Behn – they divorced in 2016 – Märtha Louise is fourth in line to the throne.
Although two years his junior, it was his brother, Prince Haakon, who would one day be called upon to succeed King Harald: the rule of primogeniture, without distinction of sex, was not yet in force in Norway at the time of their birth.
The couple’s escapades are helping to erode the royal family’s popularity, which remains high. Support for the monarchy has fallen from 81% in 2017 to 68% in Norway, according to a recent poll by public broadcaster NRK.
Charlatan?
It is mainly the “shaman Durek” who is the focus of criticism, including trials for charlatanism.
In one of his books, he suggests that cancer is a choice and recommends exercises to erase the vaginal “imprint” of women who have had multiple sexual partners.
He also claimed that his medallion, the “Spirit Optimizer”, which sells for $222, helped him overcome Covid.
Having himself had to fight hard to win over the chosen one of his heart, Sonja, a commoner, the aging King Harald (87 years old) shows leniency, referring to a simple “cultural collision”.
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