A Norwegian princess marries an American self-styled shaman in front of a star-studded audience
By The Associated Press on August 31, 2024.
HELSINKI (AP) – Social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities were among the guests as the Norwegian king’s eldest child, Princess Märtha Louise, married an American self-professed shaman on Saturday in a wedding ceremony following three days of festivities. The 52-year-old Märtha Louise and Durek Verret, who claims to be a sixth-generation shaman from California, tied the knot in the picturesque small town of Geiranger, one of Norway’s major tourist attractions located on a fjord with stunning views. Following festivities that started on Thursday, the actual wedding ceremony took place in a large white tent set up on a lush lawn. The couple has sold the wedding photo rights to British celebrity magazine Hello! and the film rights to Netflix. The deals prompted protests from Norwegian media, which say it goes against local practices. The couple has often lashed out against the press while promoting themselves on social media. The 87-year-old King Harald, who has been in fragile health the past few years, attended his daughter’s wedding together with Queen Sonja and other member of the Norwegian royal house. Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel represented the Swedish royal house together with her brother, Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia. No other European royals took part in the wedding. The wedding comes amid widespread criticism of the couple’s actions and waning support for the Norwegian royals, who have also been plagued by negative reports about an unruly family member who faces preliminary domestic violence charges. Märtha Louise and Verret, 49, have attracted headlines with their alternative beliefs. She is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne but said in 2022 that she’ll no longer officially represent the Norwegian royal house. The princess – she has retained the title – has said she can talk with angels, while Verret claims that he communicates with a broad range of spirits and has a medallion which helps ward off spells and cure diseases. They became engaged in 2022. Following their marriage, Verret will not have a royal title or official duties. In a 2019 deal, Märtha Louise and Verret agreed not to use her connection to the royal house or her title for commercial purposes. But earlier this year Märtha Louise labeled bottles of gin with her title and launched the brand in time for the wedding, defying King Harald’s directive that she should not profit from her royal status. The label was eventually changed. Märtha Louise has three children from her previous marriage with Ari Behn, whom she divorced in 2017 after 14 years of marriage. 13-12
