All eyes are on Norway this weekend to witness the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise to her fiancé Durek Verrett.
They’re a controversial couple, to put it mildly, though their love for each other has shone through every scandal they’ve weathered (self-created or not). As they finally say ‘I do’, let’s take a look at the royal bride who’s always walked with a delicate balance between fulfilling her royal obligations and following her heart.
Princess Märtha Louise is the eldest child and only daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja. Born in 1971, she would, in a different world, be first in line to the Norwegian throne. But absolute primogeniture was not made effective until 1990, and until then, female members of the royal family were not eligible to inherit the throne.
Princess Märtha Louise has stated since that before the laws were changed, when she was 19 years old, that the idea of applying the law retroactively—as had been done in Sweden, altering the lives of then-Crown Prince Carl Philip and Princess Victoria in 1979—had been floated by her, but she declined the duty and her younger brother, Haakon, retained his place.
(By Richter Frank-Jurgen – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Until her own daughter Maud was born in 2003, Princess Märtha Louise was the only woman in the line of succession; and until her niece, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, was born in 2004, she was second in line to the throne.
Princess Martha Louise spent her early years at Skaugum, living away from the royal courts and rigid protocols. She was named for her paternal grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha, who’d passed away in 1954, and her paternal great-great-grandmother, Queen Louise.
She attended daycares and schools with children from across society, rather than royal and aristocratic circles, and maintained interests in arts and music; she was also a successful equestrienne. The princess has also maintained a lifelong interest in alternative medicine, spirituality and considers herself to be highly sensitive—she has been outspoken about her ability to speak with angels.
Princess Märtha Louise received training as a physiotherapist but also received training to become a Rosen practitioner, choosing instead to focus on that method of practice rather than traditional means.
In 2003, the princess decided that she would step back as a member of the Royal House in order to be able to focus on her own business ventures. At the time, she ceased being ‘Her Royal Highness’ and instead became ‘Her Highness.’
Princess Märtha Louise married her first husband, Ari Behn, in 2002. The couple had three daughters together: Maud, Leah and Emma. They divorced in 2017 and sadly, Behn took his own life on Christmas Day in 2019.
(NRK screen grab/ fair use)
Since early 2019, Princess Märtha Louise has been in a relationship with Durek Verrett, an American shaman (self-styled) who has a history of controversial statements and practices. She introduced the world to her new boyfriend on her official Instagram, writing: “When you meet your twin flame, you know. I have been lucky enough to have met mine. @shamandurek has changed my life like he does with so many. He has made me realise that unconditional love actually exists here on this planet. He embraces all of me without question or fear. He makes me laugh more than anyone, has the most profound wisdom to share and all the bits in between from the diversity of his being. I feel so happy and blessed that he is my boyfriend. Thank you, my love, for including me so generously into your family. I love you from this eternity to the next.”
The couple would become a source of controversy in Norway, under fire for their controversial statements related to health and wellbeing as well as reports and rumours of Princess Märtha Louise ‘cashing in’ on her royal connections. The couple also faced intense racial scrutiny, with both calling out the media for their treatment of Verrett.
Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett announced their engagement in June 2022, writing in a statement: “Love does not judge where you come from or who you are as a human being. Love creates a bridge between people, cultures and religions. And we are happy to have found each other, across continents, ethnicity and social background.”
The Norwegian Royal Court clarified that Durek would not receive a royal title or style upon marriage, like other men who marry royal princesses, and that there would not be any official working role for him within the Norwegian royal family.
In November 2022, controversy again brewed surrounding Princess Märtha Louise’s commercial work while using her royal style. After weeks of simmering wonder—will she step down entirely? Will she lose her title?—Princess Märtha Louise and the foyal court both issued statements saying that she would relinquish her patronages, step back from all official duties, and not carry out any work on behalf of the Norwegian royal family.
As per King Harald’s personal wishes, Martha Lousie retained the style of Princess, but she would not be entitled to use it for commercial gain. Nor would she be able to cash in on her royal connections—something she was again accused of this past month, when details of Hello! and Netflix receiving exclusive photograph and filming rights to her wedding.
Princess Märtha Louise and Durek live in Norway full-time and undertake their own private—non-royal work. They still attend family functions and will be present at events where their attendance make sense, but will not represent the Norwegian royal family on the global stage.
