On June 17, 2022, Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her American fiancé Durek Verrett went to Oslo Castle to attend Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s dinner.
Lise Asselud | AFP | Getty Images
A Norwegian princess marries her Hollywood fiancé—it sounds like exactly the kind of fairy tale that would appeal to a world beset by war and political strife.
But Princess Martha Louise’s wedding on Saturday to American spiritual healer and self-proclaimed shaman Durek Veret was mired in controversy and criticism.
Märtha Louise, 52, is the eldest daughter of Norway’s long-reigning and popular King Harald, 87. In 2019, she started dating Verrett, a native of California. The two got engaged in 2022.
The wedding will be held in Geirangerfjord, a picturesque town Geirangerfjord, the majestic fjord It is flanked by snow-capped mountains designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
King Queen Sonia, heir to the throne Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit will all attend, the palace said. They will be joined by reality stars, media influencers and TV personalities, with image rights sold exclusively to Netflix and Hello! magazine.
But away from this secluded place, the picture is less harmonious.
The wedding prompted greater scrutiny and criticism of the views of princesses and shamans and the businesses involved. It also adds to growing dissatisfaction with the historically popular members of Norway’s royal family.
Verrett describes himself as a “sixth generation shaman” who “studies extensively” to extract “the best of all philosophies, religions, spiritual teachings and theories in the world.”
In his 2019 book, “Spiritual Hacking: Shamanic Keys to Reclaiming Your Personal Power, Transforming Yourself, and Illuminating the World,” he said children get cancer because they “want it,” while doctors give chemotherapy just to make a profit.
In another chapter, he writes that casual sex “attracts underworld entities” that are “the origin of all sexually transmitted diseases.” He also said that overpopulation is one of the biggest threats facing humanity and that women’s difficulty in conceiving is a sign that “the planet is trying to correct itself.”
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her future husband Durek Verrett arrive in Alesund on the boat that will take them to the Geirangerfjord (Geiranger) for a wedding on August 30, 2024.
Hirako·Zhengge|AFP|Getty Images
He claims his clients include celebrities, but he also runs an online “shamanic school” where people can pay up to $110 for webinars to learn everything from how to talk to their dead ancestors to achieving financial success. .
He’s selling a “mental optimizer” for $222 that he says boosts his immune system, “strengthens his organs” and helps him recover from Covid-19, as an alternative to traditional medical treatments.
None of this is very popular in Norway.
Health Minister Ole Henrik Krat Bjørkholt, who is also a doctor, called Verrett an “unscrupulous and dangerous charlatan” in a 2022 Facebook post, accusing him of wanting to “swindle money from patients through deceit and deceit.” According to VG newspaper.
Last year, current Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told the Dagbladet newspaper that Verrett’s ideas were “dangerous”.
Even before she met Verrett, Martha Louise was already passionate about so-called alternative medicine. She said she was clairvoyant, and as recently as 2018 she ran a school where she claimed to be able to talk to angels.
This prompted criticism from the Norwegian media and public, who accused the royal family of using her title to promote false business interests. As a result, Buckingham Palace announced in 2019 that the princess would no longer perform official duties and that neither she nor Verrett would use their royal titles on social media channels or in commercial activities.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her American fiancé Durek Veret after a government holiday event at the Main Library in Oslo on June 16, 2022.
Lise Asselud | AFP | Getty Images
A statement accompanying the decision said the royal family has “full confidence in Norway’s medical services” which are based on “established medical knowledge and scientific research”. The princess herself praised Norway’s healthcare system and “research-based knowledge,” saying “alternative approaches can be an important complement to the help provided by traditional medical institutions.”
Verrett said in previous social media posts that he suffered racist abuse online from people who echoed his beliefs.
But the anger has not subsided.
When asked about the controversy surrounding this weekend’s wedding, Norway’s royal family said in an email that it “looks forward to being a guest at the wedding,” while relaying to NBC News its previous statement about the princess stepping back from royal duties.
NBC News has reached out to Verrett for comment.
This isn’t the only storm surrounding the family.
Earlier this month, Crown Prince Haakon’s stepson Marius Borg Hojby admitted in a statement to Norway’s national broadcaster NRK that he assaulted a woman while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
The scandals have raised questions about support for the monarchy in a country that usually enthusiastically supports members of the royal family.
“These cases show some of the fundamental challenges facing the monarchy,” said Andreas Sjalg Unneland, a lawmaker from the left-wing Socialist Left party. told the ap.p.. The party is using the controversy to push for constitutional changes to abolish the monarchy, but is unlikely to win support from other lawmakers.
Preparations for the wedding are well underway in Norway’s Folk Fjords, nearly 200 miles away from the capital Oslo.
