Norwegian Princess Martha Louise Marries American Spiritual Guru

(Patria) - Norwegian Princess Martha Louise married her long-time partner, American spiritual guru Durek Verrett, on Saturday in a ceremony attended by the Norwegian King and other members of the royal family, Reuters reported.

The wedding was the culmination of three days of festivities honoring Martha Louise (52), fourth in line to the throne, and Verrett (49), a self-proclaimed shaman from California, after the couple first announced their relationship in 2019.

The couple was joined in the western town of Geiranger by members of the royal families of Sweden and Norway, as well as friends, social media influencers, and Norwegian celebrities.

Martha Louise, daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja, stepped down from official royal duties in 2022 to allow her to more freely pursue her own business ventures, and said she and Verrett would refrain from using her princess title in a commercial context.

The couple faced criticism from the Palace and members of parliament for linking commercial activities to Martha Louise's royal status. At a media event organized by a beverage company in June, the couple presented a special wedding pink gin, with a label bearing the names Martha Louise and Verrett on the back of the bottle and a pink monogram created for the occasion. Norwegian health authorities ruled this week that the marketing of the beverage was inappropriate.

Martha Louise's first marriage, to Norwegian writer Ari Behn, with whom she had three children, ended in divorce in 2017.

Saturday's wedding ceremony, in a large outdoor tent, was open only to media who sponsored the event and was not televised, unlike the princess's first wedding in 2002, which was held in the country's largest cathedral.

Martha Louise caused controversy in 2007 when she announced she was clairvoyant and launched a school to help people by teaching them how to talk to angels.

Verrett becomes part of the country's extended royal family, as determined by the Palace, but not the core of the Norwegian Royal House, which includes only the monarch and the next two in line to the throne, as well as their spouses. Therefore, he will not become a prince.