Princess Martha Louise of Norway Announces Wedding Date to Shaman Durek After 2-Year Engagement

Norwegian princess Märtha Louise is getting married!

On Wednesday, the only daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja announced her wedding date with her fiancé Shaman Durek. Märtha Louise (51) revealed her relationship with a spiritual guide and healer from Los Angeles in May 2019, and got engaged to him in June 2022.

“Durek Verrett and I are delighted to announce that our upcoming wedding will take place at the historic Hotel Union in Geiranger on August 31, 2024,” the bride-to-be wrote in Norwegian on Instagram. The update came with a professional portrait of the couple posing together against a soft background.

“Geiranger is known for its spectacular fjord and dramatic mountains,” she continued of the village in western Norway. “Geiranger Fjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and represents Norway’s rich culture and natural beauty. We are incredibly happy to celebrate our love in the beautiful surroundings of Geiranger. It means a lot to us to gather our loved ones in a place that is so rich in history and intense experiences of nature. Geiranger is the perfect place to accept our love.”

Princess Martha Louise shared the video of the cuddle on Instagram.

Martha Louise/Instagram

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway reflects on ‘challenging year’ after stepping down as royal

Shaman Durek shared the same photo and message on his own Instagram page, calling his fiancée “my beloved Princess Märtha Louise.”

Although the bride-to-be was born a princess, the Royal House of Norway announced in November that she was officially stepping down from her royal role. The palace said the decision was made so that Märtha Louise could more freely pursue other interests without the restrictions of her connection to the crown. The royal retains her title of princess and remains welcome at family events, the statement said.

“The King and Queen wish to thank Princess Märtha Louise for the important work she performed in her official capacity for several decades. She performed her duties with warmth, care and deep commitment,” the courtiers wrote on behalf of Harald and Sonja, both 86.

Princess Martha Louise at the 2021 State Banquet Patrick van Katwijk/WireImage Meet Norway’s royal family: All about the 1,000-year-old monarchy

In an interesting twist, the royal departure of Princess Märtha Louise does not affect the Norwegian line of succession. Although she is two years older than her brother, Crown Prince Haakon, he was always destined to inherit the Norwegian throne. Absolute primogeniture (the right to rule regardless of gender) was not constitutionally adopted in Norway until 1990, according to the Royal House. The places of King Harald’s two children in the line of succession are still dictated by the previously imposed cognatic primogeniture which favors males, with precedent set only for those born after 1990.

Crown Prince Haakon is followed in the line of succession by his daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 19, and son Prince Sverre Magnus, 17, whom he shares with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

The Royal House of Norway shared good wishes on behalf of the King and Queen as well as the Crown Prince Couple after the wedding date was announced.

Ceremonial portrait of Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Martha Louise, King Harald V and Queen Sonja. LISE AASERUD/AFP via Getty

“The Queen and I are delighted that Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett have announced their wedding plans today. We are happy to include Durek Verret in our family and look forward to celebrating the big day with them. We wish Marta and Durek all the best”, reads the statement of King Harald and Queen Sonja.

“Congratulations to Princess Märtha and Durek Verrett on their wedding in August next year. We are happy for them and look forward to celebrating with them in Geiranger. We wish Märtha, Durek and the girls all the best in the future,” reiterated Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

Princess Märtha Louise is the mother of daughters Maud Angelica (20), Leah Isadore (18) and Emma Tallulah (14), who she shares with her ex-husband Ari Behn. The couple separated in 2016 after 14 years of marriage, and the divorce was finalized the following year. Behn died by suicide at the age of 47 in 2019.

The mother of three has opened up about dealing with depression following the death of her ex-husband.

A few years later, she found love again. In May 2019, Princess Märtha Louise became Instagram official with shaman Durek, a guide and healer with a devoted celebrity fan base. At the time, she described Durek, 47, as her “twin flame” and promised to love him for the rest of her life – a promise made official when they got engaged in June 2022.

Princess Martha-Louise and Durek Verrett Princess Ingrid Alexandra Official Day 2022 Rune Hellestad/Getty

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Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Märtha Louise said that it meant a lot when her boyfriend proposed. Durek popped the question with an intricate emerald and diamond ring at an equestrian estate in San Juan Capistrano, California. The central emerald is embraced by three diamonds on each side, symbolizing her three daughters.

“I was shocked, and this huge wave of emotion went through me, making me tremble. It was so touching and beautiful that the man I love more than anything in this world got down on one knee and asked for my hand,” Princess Märtha Louise she told PEOPLE 2022.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education