Why Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s wedding to ‘shaman’ Durek Verrett has ignited controversy

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Princess Märtha Louise of Norway will tie the knot with American shaman Durek Verrett on August 31. However, the nuptials have become the center of controversy with other members of the Norwegian royal family.

The 52-year-old daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway is set to marry a shaman named Durek Verrett at Hotel Union in Geiranger, a village in western Norway.

The festivities will take place over three days surrounded by 350 guests – including other European royals and, reportedly, Gwyneth Paltrow. The dress code calls for “sexy and cool” attire, while a Netflix camera crew will be among the few press outlets granted exclusive access to the wedding.

In fact, it’s the limited public access to Princess Märtha Louise and Durek’s wedding that has sparked some backlash from her own royal family.

But controversy surrounding the couple has circulated long before their nuptials were announced.

The Norwegian royal is fourth in line to the throne. Märtha Louise was born on September 22, 1971, to the then Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja. The royal couple also welcomed a son, Crown Prince Haakon, the current heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.

She is a certified physiotherapist and a self-described clairvoyant, claiming she can communicate with animals and angels. In fact, Märtha Louise once opened her own alternative therapy center called Astarte Education – named after one of the oldest goddesses in the Middle East – to teach others healing techniques and how to make contact with celestial beings. In a 2007 interview with NRK, the Norwegian public service television network, she described her relationship with angels as “creatures of light, which gave her a feeling of a strong presence and a strong and loving support.”

However, Märtha Louise faced much criticism for her professional endeavors, as well as calls for her to give up her royal title. In 2019, Norway’s royal court confirmed she would no longer use her title of princess during her business activities. Just three years later, the Royal House of Norway announced she was relinquishing her royal role.

"Princess Märtha Louise wishes to differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway. The Princess has therefore decided, in consultation with His Majesty The King and other close family members, that she will not carry out official duties for the Royal House at the present time," the palace said in a statement at the time.

While she gave up attending official royal duties, Märtha Louise was still allowed to keep her princess title. Despite her stepping down from her working royal role, she still remains fourth in line to the Norwegian throne.

In May 2002, she married her first husband, author Ari Behn. The former couple welcomed three daughters: Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19, and Emma Tallulah, 15. Her daughters are private citizens and do not have official royal titles.

Märtha Louise and her husband announced their separation in 2016. The pair were officially divorced one year later, sharing joint custody of their daughters. The author died by suicide in December 2019.

In May 2019, the princess revealed that she was in a relationship with American citizen Durek Verrett, a self-titled shaman. In an Instagram post announcing their relationship, Märtha Louise seemingly preempted potential criticism when she wrote in the caption: “To those of you who feel the need to criticize: Hold your horses. It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me. Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfills me.”

The pair later announced they were engaged in June 2022. However, that hasn’t stopped people from sharing their thoughts about their unconventional relationship.

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The 49-year-old California native, born Derek Verrett, works as an alternative therapist. On his website, Durek described himself as “a sixth generation shaman” and listed Nina Dobrev and Gwyneth Paltrow as some of his high-profile clients. He offers hour-long private sessions on his website for $2,000 in-person or $1,500 virtually.

In 2019, he published the book Spirit Hacking: Shamanic Keys to Reclaim Your Personal Power, Transform Yourself, and Light Up the World. Following its publication, however, the book raised eyebrows for its non-traditional medical theories. The book was even reportedly dropped by its Norwegian publisher, Cappelen Damm, over its unsubstantiated claims.

“Our conclusion is that the book should not have been assumed, it will not be published, and the publisher has informed the rights holders about this,” the Oslo-based publisher said in a press release at the time, according to the Daily Mail.

According to the outlet, Verrett suggested in the book that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness. Verrett also claimed in the book that he had risen from the dead, that he predicted the 9/11 attacks in the United States two years before they actually occurred, and that casual sex attracts subterranean spirits that make an impression on the inside of women’s vaginas, which he sells exercises to “clean out.”

Verrett was previously engaged to Hank Greenberg, a masseuse, from 2007 to 2015. In 2012, his sister gave him a kidney.

Ahead of their nuptials, the couple has decided to only give Hello! magazine exclusive access to the ceremony. This caused quite some uproar among the Norwegian press, which has typically been granted access to a wedding of the royal family.

“Here a key member of the Norwegian royal family is breaking what has been a long and good tradition,” Reidun Kjelling Nybø of the Norwegian Editors’ Association told NRK, per English translation, according to People. “Major events have been documented via Norwegian broad media, such as NTB and NRK, on ​​behalf of the entire press, which has passed the images on to the people and to other newsrooms that want them, including foreign ones.”

As a result of the exclusivity decision, Guri Varpe – the Royal House of Norway’s head of communications – told NRK that members of the royal family will refrain from being photographed and filmed by outlets without access.

The public and the press will be able to take photos of the princess and her groom outside the wedding, with “one or more photos” of the couple with their family to be circulated afterwards, NRK said. Photos from the wedding itself will be exclusively owned by Hello!

Despite the criticism, Märtha Louise and Verrett have declared that they’re “drawing a line” to focus on their future. “We know that parts of the press will intensify with lies about us, as our wedding draws nearer. As we prepare for our Big Day, we are dedicated to taking care of each other, prioritizing our mental well-being and love for each other, and have therefore decided that from this day forward, we will not comment on anything the press throws at us,” the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post in April.

“We are focusing on creating a wedding that reflects the depth of our love and are filled with excitement and joy for the celebrations ahead. Thank you for your understanding as we embark on this beautiful journey together, celebrating our love ending in our wedding in Geiranger.”