Norway Princess announces wedding plans with Hollywood Guru. Princess Martha Louise of Norway, the oldest child of King Harald and Queen Sonja, will wed self-described shaman Durek Verrett on August 31, 2024, the couple announced on Wednesday.
Verrett, a Hollywood spiritual guru, and the 51-year-old princess’ romance have not been well received in Scandinavia, where his alternative medicine practises and statements have led to him being called a “quack.”
The wedding will take place in Geiranger, a town in southwest Norway situated on the fjord of the same name and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“We are incredibly happy to be able to celebrate our love in Geiranger’s beautiful surroundings,” the couple said in a statement.
In June 2022, Martha Louise and Durek Verrett announced their engagement with the approval of King Harald, who had married Sonja in 1968 and had also wed a commoner.
The king, queen, and Crown Prince Haakon offered their congratulations to the couple and said they were “happy to welcome Durek Verrett into the family” in a separate statement on Wednesday.
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The African-American has caused a stir in Norway over the years, referring to himself as a “sixth-generation shaman” and counting Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas among his devotees.
He has advocated exercises to help women remove “imprints” from their vaginas left by previous sexual partners and suggested that cancer is a choice.
He advertised “Spirit Optimizer” medallions for sale on his website for $222, saying they helped him beat Covid.
Columnist and humorist Dagfinn Nordbo wrote last year that he was “an imposter, a charlatan, and a quack.”
As Norway Princess announces wedding plans with Hollywood Guru, Mr. Verrett has acknowledged that some people may find his beliefs unsettling, he asserts that he is a victim of racism.
Fourth in line, and a divorced mother of three daughters, Martha Louise is no stranger to controversy.
She is a supporter of complementary medicine and declares to be able to communicate with angels, a talent she has shared and made money from in books and courses.
She stepped down from her royal duties in November 2022 so she could focus on her partnership with Mr. Verrett in the field of alternative medicine.
She agreed not to use her title in any of her business endeavors, but she kept it.
Her ex-husband, the flamboyant writer Ari Behn, who committed suicide in 2019, three years after their divorce, was previously married to her.
