Princess Martha Louise and Shaman Durek Verrett Wed in Norway
Two years after their engagement, 52-year-old Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise and her beloved, 49-year-old self-proclaimed shaman Durek Varret, got married. This long-awaited event for many took place on August 31.
As announced, the celebration took place in the resort town of Geiranger on the shores of the fjord of the same name - one of the most picturesque in Norway and even included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
On this important day in her life, Martha Louise wore a dress by Tina Steffenakk Hermansen with a 3.5-metre-long train. She completed her look with a piece of jewellery that is of particular importance to her: the Garrard tiara with ears of wheat with pearls and diamonds. This tiara was given to the princess for her 18th birthday by her grandfather, King Olav V of Norway. The groom wore a black tuxedo and trousers with a gold belt.
Despite the quite classic wedding organization in many respects, the event included a number of unconventional decisions, as expected from such an original couple. For example, instead of the usual pre-wedding dinner, a salsa party awaited the guests. Before that, the guests took a boat ride along the Geirangerfjord, their route passed the famous waterfalls "Seven Sisters", "Groom" and "Bride's Veil".
Among those invited, of course, were many high-ranking officials, including members of the Norwegian and Swedish royal families. King Harald V and Queen Sonja, Martha Louise's brother, Crown Prince Haakon, with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, and their children came to congratulate the newlyweds. Martha Louise's three daughters, 21-year-old Maud, 19-year-old Leah, and 16-year-old Emma, also joined the celebration.
The Norwegian royal family's website has already posted official portraits of the newlyweds in their circle of loved ones.
It should be noted that the wedding of Martha Louise and Durek Varrett became a high-profile event for many reasons. One of them is that this is the first time in history that a black man has married into a European royal family. Although Martha Louise renounced her royal powers for the sake of her marriage to Varrett, and Durek will not be awarded a title after the wedding. The couple is also of particular public interest due to Varrett's occupation.
The fact is that Verrett has been practicing medicine for many years without any special education or qualifications. He is often criticized for, for example, believing that cancer is a choice people make, and that chemotherapy, in his opinion, is prescribed to patients for the sake of doctors’ earnings. Nevertheless, the shaman has many fans among celebrities – for example, Gwyneth Paltrow called him her spiritual mentor.
A few years ago, Märtha Louise was sure she would never marry again. Her first marriage to writer Ari Behn, which lasted 14 years, ended in divorce, and Ari soon committed suicide. However, meeting Durek in 2018 completely changed the princess’s life.