#princess Märtha Louise

[omgthatdress]

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway got married to her "shaman" the other day and ngl I am high-key obsessed.

If you don't know: these are two people who absolutely match the fuck out of each other's freak. Princess Märtha Louise is pretty notorious for her woo woo new age spiritual beliefs which include being able to talk to angels. I wonder if she's ever on the spirit phone with Princess Diana.

Her husband, "Shaman" Durek Verrett claims to be a fifth generation shaman with unique healing and spiritual powers. Yeah, he's a good ol' fashioned con man out there doing Rasputin proud and he hit the fucking jackpot.

Like it's easy to say that she's a mark but also if she weren't a princess she'd absolutely be a cult leader so I kind of love these two garbage people finding love.

Anyway, the tiara she chose is legit one of my top-tier favorite royal tiaras, it's soooo beautiful and elegant. Too bad she paired it with an ill-fitting and cheap-looking dress with flowers that must have been hot-glued on.

[irresistible-desires]

[andiatas]

A roundup before I check out

Here is a summary of the entire sh*t storm all the articles, opinion pieces and leader articles I've translated so far about the Norwegian Royal Family & their summer of chaos. Now, I'm passing the baton over to someone else to report back on the wedding.

May & June

Royal House expert: -⁠ Seems to have forgotten the art of celebrating with the people (May 15)

"Miss" on "miss" on "miss": -One time is an accident (June 27)

Short explainer why the wedding gin might break the law (June 27)

A case is opened about the wedding gin (June 28)

A clarifier about the case (June 28)

July

The Royal Family refuses to say anything about the Princess's slip (Jul. 3)

Royal experts: -⁠The Princess title must go (Jul. 5)

Durek's response after the Norwegian anger: "Sees no other options" (a.k.a. Durek threatens to sue his mother) (Jul. 25)

August

Märtha and Durek about the monogram: -We found it natural that it should adorn the bottle (Aug. 6)

Police confirm: Charged with bodily harm (Aug. 6)

The lawyer confirms: Refuses to explain himself (Aug. 6)

Crown Prince Haakon's first comments about this situation (Aug. 7)

Royal expert: -⁠A major scandal (Aug. 8)

Marius Borg Høiby to NRK: Admits the use of violence in cocaine intoxication (Aug. 14)

Lawyer: -There are talks of [chokehold] and punches (Aug. 14)

Marius Borg Høiby did the only right thing (Aug. 14) (opinion piece)

Police action against Marius Borg Høiby's friend: Found 224 doses of cocaine (Aug. 15)

What punishment does he face? Why is Marius identified by name? Does Mette-Marit have to testify? plus more questions you may have (Aug. 15)

Will this affect the future of the Norwegian monarchy & what do Norwegian politicians think? (Aug. 16)

Hello Mag. & Netflix has received the exclusive rights to the Princess's wedding + the Royal Family refuses to be photographed (Aug. 21)

Märtha Louise & Durek's management wanted to prohibit drone flying over Geiranger (Aug. 22)

Høiby has been charged with threats and reported for scooter theft (Aug. 23)

Not princess-worthy (Aug. 23) (leading article)

The police withheld communication with the Princess around the wedding in Geiranger (Aug. 23)

Nearly four out of ten have a more negative view of the Royal Family (Aug. 25)

Crown Prince Haakon: -I [only] know what Marius has told us (Aug. 26)

A pressed Crow Prince (Aug. 26) (opinion piece)

The Royal House will not share eventual wedding speeches (Aug. 27)

Marius has been questioned for the first time (Aug. 27)

[m0d3rn-l0v3rs]

[ldagence-royal]

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway Attends Party Celebrating The Crown Prince Couple's 50th Birthday 25 August 2023 in Oslo, Norway

[creativemedianews]

Norway princess and US shaman marry after years of 'turmoil'

Norway princess and US shaman marry after years of 'turmoil' #DurekVerrett #Norwegianroyalwedding

[andiatas]

*big sigh* I was going to extend my Instagram break until at least September, but I'm caving in... I can't just watch this train wreck through Tumblr

The Norwegian royal family is probably grateful they’re not better known considering Hello! Magazine just announced that Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett’s wedding will:

-have three days of festivities

-have a pre-wedding party with a “sexy and cool” dress code (wtf does that mean???)

-have another pre-wedding party with a Latin American theme

Hello! has exclusive access to the celebrations, of course.

[omgthatdress]

actually i’m so sorry for the princess’ kids. like being royal must suck enough already but with those parents ???? poor things

okay, here's the full story: Märtha Louise has always been fucking kooky. Like for real if she weren't a princess she'd be a cult leader. She claims to be clairvoyant and in 2007 started her own school to teach alternative medicine (you know, shit that's not medicine at all). She lost the title of "Royal Highness" in 2002 and she's not a member of the royal house and had no public role.

HOWEVER, she was previously married to a man named Ari Behn, who was an artsy sad sack who was pretty respected as a writer but derided as an amateur when it came to his visual art. The two divorced in 2017, and then in 2019, he died by suicide. Genuinely fucking tragic.

So OBVIOUSLY there's trauma there. Like if her woowoo beliefs already had her believing in shaman types, the trauma of her husband's death had to have left her super susceptible to the right charismatic charlatan who tells her everything she wants to hear and gives her all the validation she's willing to ignore a million red flags for.

Honestly it kind of sounds like something a lot of families are dealing with: a loved one gets swept up into Q-Anon/Trump cult bullshit (the woo to Q pipeline is REAL) and you don't really know how to deal with it because the situation is fucking awful but you still love the person in spite of everything.

Or at least that's me projecting all my bullshit into the situation and how I'd be pitching it as a screenplay. Netflix HMU.

The whole mess has actually seriously damaged the reputation of the Norwegian royal family and along with calls for her to lose her title of "princess" it's created a pretty big movement calling for the abolition of the monarchy.

Which is surprising because the Norwegian monarchy is actually fairly low-key. King Harald is good at being genial and non-political and they're mostly involved in promoting Norwegian cultural stuff, which kinda seems like how you should do a monarchy, if you're gonna do one.

But then again it just underlines how inherently fucked up the institution of a monarchy is to begin with.

Anyway have you figured out already that monarchy as a metaphor for generational trauma is my absolute favorite trope and I absolutely lose my fucking shit whenever I see it playing out in public?

[andiatas]

Opinion piece: It may appear as if she is selling something that is not really hers

The interest and the money are there because she is her father's daughter.

Photo: NTB

Modern royalty is not easy to define. This is partly because it is full of paradoxes.

On the one hand, being royal is deeply personal. It binds a Royal Family together in a way no other families [can] experience. It also means that the royals have to live with a significant interest in who they are and what they think and feel. Who they fall in love with and marry. How they raise their children.

On the other hand, being royal is something very impersonal. You have not become King, Queen, Prince, or Princess because you have achieved something. It's a role you've been assigned through a genetic lottery, and it's a win that brings disadvantages as well as advantages.

Patrick Jephson, who was Princess Diana's private secretary for many years, has written several books about royalty. In his book on Meghan Markle, he points out the importance of distinguishing between the fame you've worked for and the fame you've been born into or married into.

A princess, writes Jephson, will always be listened to. She can say obvious things from a podium, and the applause will faithfully follow. It can be challenging to accept that this goodwill is not really personal. It would be there for anyone who filled the royal role dutifully and kindly.

Jephson's point is relevant to the debate about young royals in general and [around] Princess Märtha Louise in general. There was a reaction when it became known that the Princess and Durek Verrett had sold the rights to their wedding to Netflix and the celebrity magazine Hello.

The two are far from the first famous couple to make such a trade. When movie star George Clooney and lawyer Amal Alamuddin married, they sold the rights to the wedding photos to the British Hello and the American People. The couple made it known that the money would be donated to charity. So did former spouses Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie when they sold their wedding photos to People.

By emphasizing that the money would not go to themselves, the couples also gave the impression that they were selling the rights primarily to retain control over publicity and avoid paparazzi in the bushes rather than to get even richer. Not all brides and grooms with similar deals have been equally generous.

Artist Nick Jonas and Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra also sold their wedding to People. In addition, they received so much sponsorship from commercial actors that their wedding was mockingly called "sponsored content" on social media.

But it causes a stir differently when a Princess does the same thing as movie stars. It has to do with the impersonal part of her position. Unlike the other celebrities, it can appear that the Princess is selling something that is not hers.

The interest and the money Hello is willing to pay are ultimately there because she is her father's daughter.

In the Norwegian royal context, the Märtha case is unique. But in Great Britain, there is a comparable example. When Peter Philips, Queen Elizabeth's eldest grandson, married Autumn Kelly in 2008, he also sold the image rights to Hello.

The Queen was not informed in advance. When she realized what had happened, she must have intensely disliked it. The Daily Telegraph later quoted a source at the Royal Court as saying, "It will never happen again. In retrospect, it should never have happened in the first place."

Princess Märtha Louise is far from the only European royal who creates challenges for her family. Heirs to the throne across Europe have rebellious brothers and sisters who feel they spent their entire upbringing conforming, enduring a distressing attention to many of them.

Several of them, such as British Prince Harry and Danish Prince Joachim, have reacted strongly when they feel that the institution is still trying to control them after they become adults. This is understandable. But like the Norwegian Princess, the royals learn that the gold dust from the castles cannot be completely washed off.

It is not difficult to sympathize with the young royals who experienced growing up under tremendous pressure. The celebrity press can be harsh and harsher in many countries than in Norway, and the style was more invasive in the nineties than today. However, in addition to the disadvantages, royalty brings significant advantages.

Princes and Princesses grow up in a family financed by the public. They experience doors opening for them and invitations pouring in. They regularly have personal meetings with men and women who are changing the world. And they always carry with them something extremely marketable, something many people want a piece of.

This is part of the art of being a modern royal if you don't have a throne waiting. It is a matter of discretion. It's about seeing which doors you can enter and which you should leave closed if you don't want to provoke reactions and make people wonder if this monarchy thing was really such a good idea.

Translation and editing for clarity by me of an opinion piece by Inger Merete Hobbelstad for NRK, published Aug. 30, 2024, at 13:40.

[andiatas]

@foreverinthepagesofhistoryy I tagged you in a masterpost where I had linked most of the articles I've translated about Märtha Louise but also the case around Marius.

The biggest issue Norwegians seem to have with Märtha Louise is the same as Brits have with Harry - they're capitalising on their royal status. Sure, there would still be chaos & negative opinions if private person Märtha Louise did this, but the fact that she's styling herself as Princess Märtha Louise (or Princess Martha as she's apparently trying to rebrand herself as internationally) yeah, that's just pissing people off.

Summarising their entire relationship would take ages & quite frankly, I don't have the energy for that. But here are a few highlights around this wedding:

Their engagement ring was a brand deal/paid PR for their friend's business, plus they sold their engagement photos.

I don't remember the exact quotes, but Durek heavily implied that once they got married, they would move to LA because he couldn't imagine living in "a racist country" such as Norway. He had also already bought a house for himself & Märtha Louise (at first, Märtha Louise seemed to be game for this, but sometime during the pandemic (I think?) she seemed to realise she still had children & maybe moving them half across the world wasn't the best idea)

In December 2023, Durek caused a scandal by essentially stating that children with "behavioural issues" shouldn't go to therapists or psychologists. Instead, they should seek him out since they most likely were "possessed by spirits". Despite the backlash, he refused to apologise for this & just doubled down even more.

Fast forward to spring 2024, a gin was launched to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Princess Märtha Louise & Durek (ironically, since Durek has made such a big thing out of him refusing to drink alcohol). After two days, the gin was pulled from stores due to complaints that it might break Norwegian law. Earlier this week, it was announced that it did break the law, but Märtha Louise & Durek essentially just got a slap on their fingers.

Märtha Louise's manager has spent the whole spring & summer in an email argument with the local police trying to organise this wedding. One thing they were very upset about was that the police didn't ban NRK & TV2 from flying drones above their outdoor wedding, which brings me to the next point:

Earlier this month, it was announced that Hello Magazine had the exclusive photo rights to the wedding, & Netflix had the exclusive TV rights. This means the wedding of a Norwegian princess is closed to Norwegian media & the Norwegian public. This also explains why Märtha Louise & Durek have been followed by a TV crew for much of the summer.

The reveal of that agreement promptly made the Royal Palace announce that members of the Norwegian Royal Palace "retain their right" to not be photographed & filmed in "cases where not all media is allowed".

In June or July, Durek published a statement saying that he & Märtha Louise see no other option but to threaten to sue his mother due to all the false stories she has sold about him. He also basically accused her of being in cahoots with the tabloids. (the so-called false stories are the whole thing about him being a danger to the public & that Märtha Louise has been brainwashed by Durek)

As if that wasn't enough, Durek's sister took to Instagram to publish a video of her reading an open letter to King Harald. In it, she says that she, along with the entire family, has received letters from Durek & Princess Märtha Louise threatening that if they continue talking, they will get sued.

Then, at the pre-wedding party on Thursday, we could see Märtha Louise & Durek wearing matching outfits from Märtha Louise's own clothing brand, just further solidifying she is using this occasion to capitalise on her title & royal connection. (I haven't seen any photos yet from last night's pre-wedding party, but I wouldn't be surprised if they wore more clothes from her brand)

This is at the top of my mind, & I'm sure I forgot to mention many things that have happened these past few years. But you can probably sense a common thread here. While Märtha Louise has made a lot of questionable decisions & is clearly trying to capitalise on her title & who her parents are... I think what upset people most is that she seemingly has no issue with her partner's behaviour.

It's coming across as if she has no issue with the things he says or does. Every time he gets questioned, she blows it off as people being racist due to the colour of his skin (now, as someone who is Sámi a.k.a. Indigenous, I have a lot of thoughts & opinions about the issue of racism in the Nordic countries but that is a rant for another day). Basically, while she has done things worthy of criticism, what upsets people most is her inaction when it comes to Durek & her seemingly not setting boundaries, such as, "Hey, could you not mention my father in Instagram Live's where you're also marketing your shamanism business & products?"

I’m so lost with the drama of Martha Louise’s wedding, what is basically the drama between the couple and everyone?

oh there is so much!! @andiatas has translated a lot of articles about the whole thing and the more you read, the more you'll understand why this marriage is so complicated. One of the main things is that her fiancé sold things that were supposed to heal covid, told people that kids would get cancer because they are unhappy, etc... also, his mother warned people about him being manipulative and he and ML threatened to sue him. There's still a lot more but that's all i can think of right now

[m0d3rn-l0v3rs]

[ldagence-royal]

Princess Märtha Louise with Daughters, Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn - First Joint Interview ELLE

[blackmasculinitywhitefemininity2]

Princess of Norway, Märtha Louise, married today a black American man, Durek Verrett. Their interracial marriage will be a positive example for many Norwegian and other Nordic girls and women. ❤️

[andiatas]

Harald & Sonja definitely love Märtha Louise. Actually, I would argue the entire Norwegian Royal Family, plus a majority of Norway itself, adores her & wants her to be happy. I think what's difficult for non-Norwegians & non-Nordic people to understand is that Märtha Louise was loved; she was the royal version of that quirky uncle you see like two or three times a year. Yes, people had a laugh about her antics (talking to spirits & starting that angel school, etc.), but for a mere part, people loved her because she had the guts to be herself.

However, I do partly agree with the H&M comparison. From an outside perspective, it looks like Durek brings out the worst in Märtha Louise, just like Meghan brings out the worst in Harry.

Some royal watchers claim Märtha Louise & Durek is just a PR relationship. Some royal watchers, including Durek's own mother, claim he has brainwashed Märtha Louise. I'm hesitant to agree with either side... Yes, I've been open about me disliking & being critical of both of them, but calling something fake or that someone is brainwashed - that's a severe accusation to make.

What we do know is (this is just from the top of my head):

Märtha Louise's own daughters have said she introduced Durek to them as her "gay best friend". They were seemingly a bit surprised about their mother's relationship, but they seem to like Durek.

Neither Märtha Louise nor Durek have had any issue with using Märtha Louise's title or parents to advertise Durek's businesses. (side note, this is completely different from the Danish situation with Nikolai & Felix & the Swedish situation with the royals' different business deals; I can make a separate post about that one day)

Durek has, on numerous occasions, attacked the Norwegian media sphere & the entire Norwegian population. Even going so far at one point to say he could never see himself living in Norway due to the country being racist.

Märtha Louise has always had a strained relationship with the media, but ever since Durek entered the picture, she has been more confrontational. Instead of just being an annoying part of life, she now pretty much treats the media as her enemy (unless she can use them to her own benefit).

Any criticism towards or questions about their relationship &/or Durek is not criticism or questions; it's racism. Full stop. According to Märtha Louise, you have an unconscious bias & therefore, are judging Durek. According to Durek, you just haven't found enlightenment/the truth & as soon as you wake up, you will realise he is right & then he is ready to guide you "like a shepherd guides his sheep".

Then there was also Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday gala dinner & Durek trying to make a statement about him being "the first black person yada yada yada" & yeah, essentially tried to claim he was the most important person on that dinner (this statement would probably make sense in an Anglo-Saxon context, but unfortunately for Durek, he was in a Nordic context which has a completely different history, culture, etc. etc. My point here is that you can't use Anglo-Saxon glasses when looking at a Nordic country; you need to put on Nordic glasses. Once again, I can make a separate post about this one day)

Okay, I feel like I got a bit carried away here & lost the thread. But what I wanted to say is that Harald & Sonja seem to, if not like Durek, then at least find him okay. I think we also need to keep in mind that the woman is 50 years old. Even if Harald & Sonja dislike the guy, they can't exactly ground their daughter & tell her, "No, you can't because he's not good for you".

While I can definitely see why people make the comparisons of H&M to Märtha Louise & Durek, I think we here need to keep in mind that H&M are attacking Harry's family & the entire royal institution, seemingly because they're disappointed, bitter & didn't get what they wanted. Märtha Louise has tried to keep her family out of it & are only saying good things about her parents & brother. In her & Durek's case, it seems much more to be the case of "us against the world" & the more people criticise Durek, the more defensive they get.

With H&M it's directly about the British Royal Family. With Märtha Louise & Durek it's about the entire Nordic media sphere & everyone's opinion about Durek.

Martha Louise and her husband are Harry and his wife in another universe. Mundos paralelos. Although Martha’s family still pretends to loved her

Hey Sonja and Harald totally love their daughter, I am unsure of what their feelings towards Durek are but I am pretty sure they just want ML to be happy…even if she’s scamming people and marrying a guy that is totally in love with her and not of her royal status🙂‍↕️

[charlotte-of-wales]

Happy 87th birthday to Queen Sonja of Norway!

Born on 4 July 1937, Sonja Haraldsen is the Queen of Norway as the wife of King Harald V.

In June 1959 she first met Crown Prince Harald. They dated for nine years, although their relationship had been kept secret because she was a commoner. The Crown Prince made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried for life unless he could marry her. This would in effect have put an end to the rule of his family, and likely to the monarchy in Norway, as Harald was the sole heir to the throne.

Sonja became engaged to Crown Prince Harald on 19 March 1968. The couple married on 29 August 1968, at Oslo Cathedral. She thus acquired the style of Royal Highness and the title of Crown Princess of Norway. Following the death of King Olav V on 17 January 1991, Sonja became Queen Consort of Norway.

Harald and Sonia have two children: Princess Märtha Louise (52) and Crown Prince Haakon (50), and 6 grandchildren: Maud Angelica Behn (21), Princess Ingrid Alexandra (20), Leah Isadora Behn (19), Prince Sverre Magnus (18) and Emma Tallulah Behn (16).

[royalchildreneurope]

King Harald V of Norway, Queen Sonja of Norway, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and Prince Sverre Magnus pose for official portraits before attending the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Durek Verrett, in Vinjevollen in Geiranger, Norway -August 31st 2024.