Norwegian Princess Marries American Self-Styled Shaman
On 31 August, 52-year-old Princess Martha Louise of Norway married her long-term partner and American self-styled spiritual guru, 49-year-old Durek Verrett.
It was reported by Reuters.
The ceremony took place in the western Norwegian town of Geiranger. The event was attended by members of the royal family from Norway and Sweden, friends, social media influencers and Norwegian celebrities.
The outdoor event was open only to the sponsoring media. It was not televised, unlike the princess's first wedding in 2002, which took place in the country's largest cathedral.
The wedding itself was the culmination of three days of celebrations in honour of Martha-Louise, fourth in line to the throne, and Verrett, a spiritual guru from California (USA).
The couple first publicly announced their relationship in 2019.
It is noted that Martha-Louise, the daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonya, relinquished her official royal duties in 2022.
This decision allowed her to run her own business ‘more freely’. At the time, she said she would refrain from using the title of princess for commercial purposes.
Martha-Louise's first marriage to Norwegian writer Ari Ben, with whom she has three children, ended in divorce in 2017.
After the wedding, Verrett becomes part of the country's extended royal family, but not the main Royal House of Norway, which includes only the monarch and the next two in line to the throne, as well as their spouses. Therefore, he will not become a prince.