Norway’s royal rebel Princess Martha Louise is about to share her story on Netflix

Princess Martha Louise of Norway has shifted from being the nation’s beloved princess to a controversial figure, and she looks to be stirring up more controversy in her new Netflix show. 

Princess Martha Louise and her husband, American shaman Durek Verett, will be starring in Netflix’s Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story. The documentary will be premiering on 16 September and will detail how the couple met, how their relationship unfolded, and how the Norwegian Royal Family reacted to the princess’ unorthodox partner. 

And it contains images from their wedding which caused controversy after the couple signed an exclusive media deal around the ceremony.

Princess Martha has seen her love life scrutinised for years

Princess Martha Louise first married Ari Behn in 2002. Their eldest daughter, Maud Angelica, was born in 2003, and was followed by Leah Isadora in 2005 and Emma Tallulah in 2008. The couple divorced in 2017; Behn died by suicide in December 2019. 

The princess met the shaman in 2018, and the couple announced their engagement in 2022. They married in Norway in August 2024. 

Princess Martha Louise was forced to step back from her royal role in 2022, following public criticism that she has used her titles in various business ventures, including several New Age projects. 

In the trailer released for the show, Verett shared he was unsure of Martha Louise at first, saying ”‘I was a little apprehensive because I thought maybe I’m going to end up with a man. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter if it’s a male or a female or it could be another being from another planet.’

The princess has fired back at critics who claim that Verett is unscrupulous, explaining, ‘Because he’s a shaman, they say that he’s dangerous for the royal family and that I’m brainwashed.’

Netflix show behind the scenes at a royal wedding

There’s also coverage of their 2024 wedding which attracted controversy at the time when it was revealed that it was being covered by Hello magazine. The Norwegian royal family instantly made clear they would only be seen in official photos of the ceremony and on the day, issued their own official portrait of King Harald and Queen Sonja along with Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their two children.

Speaking ahead of broadcast, director Rebecca Chaiklin said ”Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek were two completely unexpected, wild, and charismatic characters from totally different worlds, navigating a swirl of controversy and fighting for love. It was a great fish-out-of-water story – and they were so funny. So I just had to convince them (and the spirits) that I was “lit” enough to be the one to tell their story.”

The Netflix synopsis of the show reveals ”Controversial shaman to the stars, Durek Verrett found his soulmate in Märtha Louise. But can their royal wedding survive the media frenzy?”

We know it did go ahead but this programme promises to reveal more about one member of the Norwegian royal family at a time when it is already under scrutiny after the stepson of the heir to the throne was charged with several offences including four counts of rape.

Rebel Royals: an Unlikely Love Story streams on Netflix from September 16.