Princess Märtha Louise, the daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, has announced her decision to withdraw from official royal duties to focus on alternative medicine with her self-described ‘shaman’ fiancé, Durek Verrett.
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An announcement on the official Royal House of Norway website sets out the princess’s plans to ‘relinquish her official duties’, explaining: ‘Princess Märtha Louise wishes to differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway. The Princess has therefore decided that she will not carry out official duties for the Royal House at the present time.
‘The King and Queen wish to thank Princess Märtha Louise for the important work she has carried out in her official capacity for several decades. She has performed her duties with warmth, care and deep commitment.’
The 50-year-old was previously married to Ari Behn, who tragically took his own life three years ago
Märtha Louise will be relinquishing her patronage of ‘various organisations’ (which will be taken up by other family members), in order to ‘create a clearer dividing line between her business activities and her role as a member of the Royal Family.’ The announcement goes on: ‘The Princess and her fiancé, Durek Verrett, are seeking to distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway. This means, among other things, that they will not employ the title of Princess or refer to members of the Royal House in their social media channels, in media productions or in connection with other commercial activities (with the exception of @PrincessMarthaLouise on Instagram).’
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Märtha Louise will, however, keep her princess title, on the decision of the King. It’s added that Verrett, who became engaged to the princess in the summer, ‘will become a part of the Royal Family’ on the couple’s marriage, and they will ‘attend family-related gatherings, such as birthday celebrations, as well as certain major sporting events’, but ‘he will not have a title or represent the Royal House of Norway.’
The Royal House adds: ‘We are very pleased by the engagement of the Princess to Derek Verrett, and we want Mr Verrett to feel welcome in our family. The situation we as a family have found ourselves in recently, however, has raised problems that are complex and that involve many different views we are trying to accommodate.
‘For us it is crucial to maintain our relationship of trust with the Norwegian people while at the same time safeguarding the well-being of our family to the best of our ability. The constraints on what we may say or do while representing the Royal House have been questioned and challenged. That is why we have seen a need to further clarify roles and the use of the Princess title.
Following Queen Margrethe of Denmark's decision to strip her grandchildren of their titles, there are rumours that Norway may follow suit
‘We are also committed to the ideal of all people living together in harmony despite their differences. We deplore the racist attitudes that Durek Verrett has had to contend with, especially on social media. We consider it a strength that the Royal House reflects Norway’s ethnic diversity… We wish to achieve a generous, welcoming society where there is room, and respect, for one and all – not just those who are our friends and family but the wider society we are building together.’
Verrett, a 47-year-old American businessman and Hollywood alternative therapist, is the author of Spirit Hacking: Shamanic keys to reclaim your personal power, transform yourself and light up the world. His work has courted some controversy, with the Guardian citing suggestions in his book that cancer was a choice, as well as a ‘Spirit Optimiser’ medallion he sells on his website, which he claims helped him overcome Covid-19.
The Royal House of Norway has included a section on its website stressing that its members ‘have great confidence in the Norwegian health service and the Norwegian health authorities’, adding that ‘Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett have stressed on several occasions that they have confidence in, and avail themselves of, the conventional medical establishment and the Norwegian health service.’
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51-year-old Princess Märtha Louise offers her own statement ‘about her views on alternative medicine and science-based conventional medicine’, stipulating: ‘I am grateful that we in Norway have a high-quality health-care system. I am impressed by all the knowledgeable people who work in hospitals, doctors’ offices and educational institutions across Norway… I also believe, however, that there are components of a good life and sound physical and mental health that may not be so easy to sum up in a research report… I think for many people alternative methods can be an important supplement to help from the conventional medical establishment. A warm hand, an acupuncture needle, a crystal, natural remedies, yoga, meditation or therapeutic conversation can, I believe, help to make life better for many individuals. Not instead of, but in addition to, the treatment provided by the health-care system.’
She concludes: ‘I am aware that many people follow what I do and say very closely. My title entails a certain responsibility. It is therefore important to me, including in my business activity, to distinguish between myself as a private person on the one hand and as a member of the Royal Family on the other. Sometimes I stumble, and am grateful to receive supportive advice along the way.
‘I consider it important to be honest with myself and with the people around me on these matters. I know where I stand, and hope my personal views will be treated as mine alone, without others having to answer for them. By the same token, I hope my views will not be used or interpreted as support for the opinions of others.’
The Danish monarch announced the decision to remove the prince and princess titles of her second son’s children, in order to ‘allow the siblings to shape their own lives’
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