Princess Märtha Louise of Norway officially stepped back from her royal duties on 8 November, announcing in a statement that she will no longer carry out royal duties or hold patronages following controversies arising from her engagement to Durek Verrett.
In a statement shared by the Norwegian Royal House, the Norwegian Princess announced that she plans to step back from royal duties, though she will keep her title of Princess. Princess Märtha Louise’s style is likewise unaffected, she remains Her Highness, as she is not a member of the Royal House and in the direct line of succession.
Though the move could look acrimonious, King Harald and Queen Sonja said in their joint statement that they “wish to thank Princess Märtha Louise for the important efforts the Princess has made through her official work for decades. She has carried out her work with care, warmth and great commitment.”
It is at King Harald’s discretion that his daughter keeps her title, and she will remain chairman of the Princess Märtha Louise Fund. When she marries, Durek will not gain a title, nor will he carry out any official duties on behalf of the Royal Family. The couple will continue to attend family events where their participation would normally occur.
King Harald acted as a result of broader controversies surrounding the practices of Princess Märtha Louise and her American fiancé, with the couple centred around misinformation on health and COVID-19 safety protocols, as well as being seen to use their royal connections for personal gain.
In the statement, the rules the couple must now follow are listed as follows: “they must not make visible their connection to the Royal Household in their own social media channels (with the exception of @PrincessMarthaLouise on Instagram), in media productions or in connection with other commercial activity.”
Namely, the couple cannot mention their royal connections, cannot use the Princess’s title, cannot mention or use images of other members of the Norwegian Royal Household in places they might also use for commercial purposes, and they cannot do interviews where they highlight these connections as a way to sell themselves.
Princess Märtha Louise had previously stopped using her title after controversies in 2019 surrounding her commercial work with Durek, as the couple billed themselves as a princess and a shaman to promote their activities.
King Harald’s move comes at a time when the roles of those not in the direct line of succession are being examined more closely.
In Denmark, his cousin, Queen Margrethe, announced that her grandchildren, through second son Prince Joachim, will lose their titles and styles of prince and Princess on 1 January 2023; and in Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf has already stripped his grandchildren through Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine of their styles to give them more freedom growing up.
