Norway’s Princess Martha marries Californian ‘shaman’

OSLO: Norwegian Princess Martha Louise married American self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett on Saturday, a union of two alternative therapy devotees that has raised eyebrows in Norway.

Martha Louise, a 52-year-old divorcee, claims to be a clairvoyant who can speak with angels, a gift she has shared — and profited from — in books and courses. Verrett, 49 and from California, calls himself a “sixth-generation shaman” and sells pricey gold medallions that he says save lives.

“I’m very spiritual, it’s just so nice to be with a person who embraces it,” Martha Louise said on Instagram after the couple announced their engagement in June 2022.

The pair tied the knot on Saturday afternoon at a hotel in the hills of Geiranger, a picturesque village on the shores of a fjord on Norway’s west coast. The ceremony took place under a white tent, concealing the party, with the couple having sold exclusive photo and video rights to the ceremony.

Martha Louise wore a traditional white wedding dress and a tiara given to her by her grandfather, King Olav, on her 18th birthday, according to photos taken by Norwegian press. Durek wore a black suit with a gold cummerbund.

Aside from 87-year-old King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon who wore dark suits, the royal family was dressed in traditional Norwegian dress, called bunad, made of embroidery and wool fabrics. Festivities kicked off on Thursday with a meet-and-greet party for the more than 350 guests.

According to Verrett, the nuptials are actually a renewal of the couple’s vows. The spiritual guide, who counts Hollywood celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas among his followers, claims he was a pharaoh in a previous life and Martha Louise was his wife.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2024