Norwegian Royal Marries American Shaman

The Norwegian Royal 

The newly married princess is the 52 year-old firstborn child of His Majesty King Harald and Her Majesty Queen Sonja. Despite her status as the oldest offspring, Princess Märtha Louise is not first in line to accede to the Norwegian throne. Instead, that honor falls to her younger and only brother, Crown Prince Haakon.

The recent marriage is the second for the Norwegian princess. In 2002, she married author Ari Behn in the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. That cathedral is a part of the Church of Norway and the traditional location of consecration of new Norwegian kings. The couple’s union produced three daughters, but unfortunately it ended in divorce in 2017.

Religiously Conservative Country

The northern European country of Norway sits on the western half of the Scandinavian Peninsula. King Harald V currently heads this constitutional hereditary monarchy. a monarchy which has been in existence for over 1,000 years.  The Norwegian royal family also has close ties to  the British monarchy.

Norwegians are predominantly Christian with 84.7% of the population identifying with that religion. Further, over 80% of Norwegians belong to the Church of Norway, an evangelical Lutheran national church that the government endows. For centuries this evangelical Lutheran denomination has been Norway’s largest religious group. In 1964, amendments to the Norwegian constitution assured freedom of religion, but the country’s royal family was still required to be Lutheran.

The American Shaman

Princess Märtha Louise dated Durek Verrett, now 49, for some three years before announcing their engagement in 2022. Her Prince Charming? An American who describes himself as a sixth generation shaman and who the Norwegian royal calls her “twin flame.” Shaman Durek is an alternative therapist  as well as a spiritual guide for stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow. He has written a book, Spirit Hacking, in which he claims to be able to commune with spirits.

His claimed experiences include, as he related to the New York Times, that he died for 4 minute and 25 seconds during which time he went to the other side and “got all the information” before returning. The shaman also says he knew the Norwegian royal in another life. He notes the two lived together in Egypt when he was pharaoh, and she was his queen.

What’s A Shaman?

Members of the evangelical Church of Norway most likely weren’t familiar with shamans. By definition, a shaman is a person who, through religious experiences or trances, achieves various powers, including communicating with the otherworld, healing the sick, and escorting the souls of the dead to the otherworld. This type of figure is recognized in various cultures, and the powers one is able to wield varies from culture to culture. As a shaman, Verrett claims he communicates with a broad range of spirits and possesses a medallion which helps ward off spells and cure diseases.

Although stars seek his guidance, not everyone is starry-eyed about Durek Verrett. He has received criticism for promoting unproven medical treatments and conspiracy theories. As a royal correspondent for a Norwegian TV outlet noted, ”Many people here are very critical of what Mr. Verrett says and does in his role as a shaman.”

The Princess’ Unorthodox Views And Use Of Her Royal Title 

Princess Märtha Louise also holds some less than mainstream views. In the past she claimed to be clairvoyant and asserts she can speak to angels. Until 2018, the royal operated a school teaching students to talk to angels and to create miracles. She has been outspoken about her interest in alternative medicine. Along with her fiancé, she embarked on a “wellness” tour earlier this year which they billed as “The Princess and the Shaman.”

The upshot of the princess’ commercial activities individually and with her now husband, led to her stepping back from royal duties. She indicated she wanted to  provided a good dividing line between her activities and that of the Royal House of Norway. The blurring of lines led to grumbling and discontent in the general population about her exploiting her royal title and a consequent drop in the popularity of the royals. The criticism has continued in light of Princess Märtha Louise’s sale of photo rights to her wedding to foreign celebrity publications as well as Netflix and thus snubbing Norwegian media.

Norwegian Royal Marries American Shaman

After two days of celebrations, the Princess and the shaman tied the knot on August 31, 2024 at the Hotel Union in Geiranger, Norway. The stunning nearby fjord framed by dramatic mountains, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The setting for this private wedding was meant to celebrate the natural beauty of Norway and its vibrant culture.

Despite the couple’s alternative spiritual views, they chose a local parish priest to perform the ceremony. The Church of Norway’s traditional wedding liturgy was to be followed. The result of a the religious ceremony? A Norwegian royal marries an American shaman.

Serving Two Masters?

The princess herself has acknowledged to the BBC that her views, which she describes as “spiritual,” are “taboo” in Norway. Her father the king indicates he’s agreed to disagree with his new son-in-law.  However, the typical predominant evangelical Lutheran Norwegian may not so easily look the other way on the newly married couple’s religious beliefs.

The princess and the shaman may attempt to keep a foot in both worlds–the traditional, religious one of the royal family and the alternative, out of the mainstream views they hold. But can they really continue to serve two masters? It may be a moot point as support for the monarchy is historically weak and crumbling and support for having a president increases. The newlyweds straddling both worlds may just be the straw that breaks the Norwegian monarchy’s back.