Social media influencers, reality stars, and TV personalities were among the guests. The Norwegian king’s eldest child, Princess Märtha Louise, married an American self-proclaimed shaman on Saturday in a wedding ceremony that concluded three days of celebrations. Märtha Louise, 52, and Durek Verrett, who claims to be a sixth-generation shaman from California, married in the gorgeous little town of Geiranger, one of Norway’s top tourist destinations set on a fjord with breathtaking vistas.
Following the festivities on Thursday, the wedding ceremony was held in a large white tent on lovely grass. Guests told media outlets that the concert featured Norwegian and American singers, a gospel choir, and a singer representing Norway’s indigenous Sámi people.
“That was wonderful! “It was Hollywood meets Geiranger,” Norwegian TV personality Harald Rønneberg described the colorful celebration to public broadcaster NRK. “It was gospel and love. We laughed, applauded, and were moved. It was simply stunning.”
The couple sold the wedding photo rights to Hello!, a British celebrity magazine, and the film rights to Netflix. The agreements sparked concerns from Norwegian media, which claimed the arrangement violated local customs. While advertising themselves on social media, the couple frequently criticizes the press. The 87-year-old King Harald, who has been in poor health for some years, attended his daughter’s wedding alongside Queen Sonja and other members of the Norwegian royal family.
Crown Princess Victoria and her spouse, Prince Daniel, represented the Swedish royal family, with her brother, Prince Carl Philip, and his wife, Princess Sofia. No other European royalty attended the wedding.
The wedding takes place amid considerable condemnation of the couple’s behavior and dwindling support for the Norwegian royals, who have also been dogged by damaging allegations of an unruly family member facing preliminary domestic abuse charges. Märtha Louise and Verrett, both 49, have made news for their unconventional ideas. She is the fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, however, she announced in 2022 that she will no longer officially represent the Norwegian royal family.
The princess, who has kept her title, claims to be able to contact angels, while Verrett claims to be able to communicate with a wide range of spirits and to possess a medallion that aids in the prevention of spells and sickness cures.
They got engaged in 2022. Verrett will not hold a royal title or perform official obligations after marriage. In a 2019 agreement, Märtha Louise and Verrett promised not to use her royal connections or status for economic gain.
However, early this year, Märtha Louise labeled bottles of gin with her title. She launched the business before the wedding, disobeying King Harald’s order not to profit from her royal status. The label was eventually altered. Märtha Louise has three children from her previous marriage to poet and playwright Ari Behn, whom she divorced in 2017 after 14 years together. This article was contributed to by Associated Press journalists Stefanie Dazio in Berlin and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark.
