Princess Martha Louise of Norway was spotted today saying goodbye to her wedding guests following her controversial marriage to an American shaman.
The 52-year-old, who is fourth in line for the Norwegian crown, wore a pink trouser suit as she left the Hotel Union in the picturesque fjord village of Geirganger, where she got married yesterday.
Earlier, her new husband, California-born spiritual guru Durek Verrett, had revealed that his princess wife had been partying until 4am and that he was not a “crazy quack”.
Verrett, 49, wore a black jacket and a pink open-necked shirt and joked: “The party went on until about 4 in the morning, 3:30 or something.”
‘And I fainted. And you know, Martha just keeps going, and that’s typical Norwegian. And so all the Norwegians just keep going and all the Americans are asleep.’
Princess Martha Louise of Norway was spotted today saying goodbye to her wedding guests after her controversial marriage to an American shaman
Verrett said his lasting memories of the wedding ceremony were “crying in the arms of his witnesses” and “looking at [Princess] Marta [Louise] walk to the altar.
The shaman said, ‘[What I remember most] is spending time with my witnesses, crying in their arms. [And] to look [Princess] Marta [Louise] “I walked into the room and saw how beautiful she looked, how radiant she was.”
Verrett revealed how Queen Sonja – whom he called “mother” – had given a “life-changing speech” but refused to reveal exactly what the Queen had said.
The shaman, who claims to belong to a long line of spiritual gurus and to speak with angels and spirits, announced that he would move to Norway permanently after his marriage.
Verrett said: ‘I already live in Norway and I’m making plans to stay.’
He added that he had been treated unfairly by the media, especially the Norwegian press, and that he was not a “crazy quack”.
The shaman said, ‘I understand why the press wants to follow us, beat us, and chase us everywhere. [But] the press has to have both sides. it can’t all be bad.
“I’m not a bad person. I’m not evil, or any of those things that people try to make me out to be. I’m not some crazy quack.”
Earlier, her new husband, California-born spiritual guru Durek Verrett, revealed how his princess wife had partied until 4am and insisted he wasn’t a ‘crazy quack’
Verrett, 49, wore a black jacket and a pink open-necked shirt and joked: “The party went on until about 4 in the morning, 3:30 or something.”
The 52-year-old, who is fourth in line for the Norwegian crown, wore a pink trouser suit as she walked out of the Hotel Union in the picturesque fjord village of Geirganger, where she tied the knot yesterday.
Märtha, who describes herself as “spiritual” and claims to be clairvoyant, began dating Durek after she recovered from the loss of her first husband, Ari Behn, who committed suicide in 2019.
But for Märtha it was not easy. She had to give up her job as a working member of the royal family because of the controversial views of her fiancé.
Durek wrote in a book that he is convinced that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness.
He published ‘Spirit Hacking’ in the US in 2019, but publishers banned it in Norway because of its unsubstantiated claims.
After reading a translation of the book from English, the publisher said they were shocked by a number of unsubstantiated statements made by Durek in the book.
After their wedding, leading members of the Norwegian royal family celebrated Princess Martha Louise’s controversial marriage to Durek until the early hours.
King Harald, an 87-year-old man in poor health, did not return to his royal yacht, which was anchored on the shore of the Geirangerfjord, until after 1 a.m.
Queen Sonja, who is also 87, told reporters waiting on the quay that they had enjoyed the gala dinner.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway leaves Hotel Union in Gieranger
Verrett said his lasting memories of the wedding ceremony were “crying in the arms of his witnesses” and “looking at [Princess] Marta [Louise] walk to the altar
Sharman Durek Verrett shows off his wedding ring outside Hotel Union in Gieranger, Norway
Crown Prince Haakon, his wife Princess Mette-Marit and their children Princess Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus stayed until the end, leaving the party at 3am.
They were pictured waving to journalists as they took a boat to the royal yacht, which was protected by a Norwegian navy ship. Princess Mette-Marit said: ‘There were many highlights [at the wedding].
Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon both gave speeches at the wedding breakfast. But not King Harald, who gave the wedding speech at his daughter’s first wedding to author Ari Behn in 2002.
The four-day wedding celebration concluded today with an extensive brunch until 13:00. The guests were then taken by bus and ferry to Ålesund Airport, about two and a half hours away.
The newlyweds surprised the crowds on the street outside their wedding venue last night by kissing before the gala dinner.
Guests included social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities as the Norwegian king’s eldest child married the American self-proclaimed shaman.
Martha Louise and Durek, who claims to be a sixth-generation shaman from California, were married in the picturesque town of Geiranger, one of Norway’s biggest tourist attractions, situated on a fjord with stunning views.
The newlyweds had spontaneously taken a walk to thank the dozens of people who had come to the small village on the fjord to pay their respects.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her American groom Shaman Durek delighted the crowds lining the streets by sharing a kiss after their wedding
The couple exchanged a kiss in front of the press and bystanders after the ceremony
Princess Martha and her husband Durek greeted the people from a balcony
The couple left the Union Hotel in Geiranger shortly after 6.30pm local time to loud applause from the crowd.
Families with young children, elderly residents and young couples waited for hours to see the princess and her new husband.
The newlyweds beamed with pride as they waved to the crowd before heading back to the hotel for the wedding breakfast – and the party that lasted into the early hours.
The wedding festivities began on Thursday, but the actual wedding ceremony took place yesterday afternoon in a large white tent set up on a farm meadow overlooking a spectacular fjord.
Guests told media that the event featured Norwegian and American artists, along with a gospel choir and a singer representing Norway’s indigenous people, the Sami.
Norwegian TV personality Harald Ronneberg told public broadcaster NRK: ‘It was fantastic! It was Hollywood meets Geiranger. It was gospel and love. We laughed, we clapped and we were moved. It was absolutely beautiful.’
The couple sold the rights to the wedding photos to British celebrity magazine Hello! and the film rights to Netflix.
The deals have sparked protests in the Norwegian media, who claim the arrangement is against local customs.
The couple has often spoken out strongly to the press and promoted themselves on social media.
