Princess Martha of Norway and her fiancé Durek Verrett are getting married in less than two weeks and it seems they are going all out to offer their guests a memorable experience.
The wedding, which will take place on Saturday 31 August, is expected to be attended by other foreign royal families, along with their close friends and family, who must adhere to the “cool and sexy” dress code.
The 51-year-old royal met Durek, who is a shaman, in 2019 after they were introduced by a mutual friend.
But the couple claimed that they had already known each other from a past life, specifically from the times of ancient Egypt.
They will marry in the Geiranger Fjord in western Norway, according to Hello magazine, which covers the couple’s wedding.
Princess Martha met Durek, who is a shaman, in 2019 after they were introduced by a mutual friend (pictured last year).
The picturesque area is renowned for its natural beauty and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Martha previously wrote in an Instagram post: ‘We are incredibly happy to be able to celebrate our love in the beautiful surroundings of Geiranger.
“It means a lot to us to bring our loved ones together in a place so rich in history and intense natural experiences. Geiranger is the perfect place to embrace our love.”
The ceremony will take place at the Hotel Union in the town of Geiranger, a four-star hotel that boasts a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, its own nightclub and even a museum of vintage cars.
But it seems that Princess Martha and shaman Durek want to start their nuptials two days before their wedding, on Thursday, September 29.
Pre-wedding events will begin with a coming-out party and the couple have told their guests the dress code is “cool and sexy.”
Martha and Durek have rented the garden of Hotel 1904 for their party in the picturesque coastal town of Alesund.
The hotel owes its name to the Great Fire of Ålesund that swept through the city in 1904 and destroyed almost the entire city centre.
Hotel 1904 appears to be much loved by the royal family, as it was previously visited by King Haakon of Norway.
It follows an art nouveau theme and prides itself on being both historic and modern. The garden has its own café bar and restaurant and even has direct access to a shopping mall.
Martha’s three teenage daughters, Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19, and Emma Tallulah, 15, are expected to be three of the seven bridesmaids (all pictured in 2022).
Martha and Durek rented the garden of Hotel 1904 for their party in the picturesque coastal town of Alesund (pictured)
On Friday, family and friends will enjoy a luxury boat ride along the Geiranger Fjord to the village of Geiranger, taking in the panoramic views (pictured).
Last year, Martha celebrated her fiancé ‘Shaman’ Durek Verrett’s birthday by sharing a photo of artist Maud with the businessman.
Parish priest Margit Lovise Holte (bottom left) will marry Princess Martha and shaman Durek, but the Reverend Michael Beckwith, who appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul podcast, will also take part.
On Friday, family and friends will also enjoy a luxury boat ride along the Geiranger Fjord to the village of Geiranger, taking in the panoramic views.
Princess Martha and Shaman Durek will also host a Latin American-themed pre-wedding party at the Union Hotel that will include salsa dancing.
The couple will then have their ceremony, where there will be seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen in total.
Martha’s three teenage daughters, Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19, and Emma Tallulah, 15, are expected to be three of the seven bridesmaids.
Her parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, are also expected to attend, along with her brother, Crown Prince Haakon, and his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
Princess Martha appears to be very close to her family, previously telling the BBC: “From a very young age, I remember my mum and dad saying that we have to stick together, that we have to talk things out even if they’re difficult, that we have to put everything on the table because we’re family, and we have to work things out despite all the turmoil.”
Shaman Durek announced in June that pastor Margit Lovise Holte will officiate at his wedding.
The Rev. Michael Beckwith, who appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul podcast, will also attend the nuptials.
At the time, she said in an Instagram post: ‘We are delighted to announce that Parish Priest Margit Lovise Holte will officiate at our wedding in Geiranger on 31st August, following the Norwegian Church wedding liturgy.
‘The Reverend Michael Beckwith will also take part in the ceremony with a salute. We look forward to this beautiful day with great joy.’
The event will be followed by a wedding breakfast and reception to celebrate their lifelong commitment.
Queen Sonja of Norway and King Harald of Norway are pictured with their daughter Princess Martha Louise in 2017
Martha, who describes herself as “spiritual” and claims to be clairvoyant, entered into a relationship with Durek after getting over the loss of her first husband, Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019.
But things have not been easy for Martha, as she was forced leave their role as active members of the royal family because of her fiancé’s controversial opinions.
Durek stated in a book that he believed childhood cancer was caused by unhappiness.
He published ‘Spirit Hacking’ in 2019 in the United States, but it was banned by publishers in Norway due to unsubstantiated claims.
After reading a translation of the book from its original English version, the publisher said at the time that they were shocked by a number of unproven statements made by Durek in the book.
Princess Martha caused further stir last month when she reportedly used her title in sending a cease and desist letter to her estranged mother-in-law.
The document is believed to have threatened legal action over the 81-year-old’s “slander” and “false statements”.
In interviews with celebrity magazines It is and TimeVeruschka Urquhart called her son “dangerous”, claiming he had “brainwashed” the princess and that her family was not as wealthy as Durek had tried to make them out to be.
Marius Borg Høiby, 27, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship, has been charged with assault after a woman was hospitalised with a concussion.
Marius Borg Høiby, 27 (left), spent more than 30 hours in custody after an incident at an apartment in Frogner, Oslo, where a woman in her 20s called police earlier this month (pictured with Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Crown Prince Haakon and the Crown Princess in 2022)
The publication claimed to be sharing the ‘shocking, word-for-word letter’, in which Martha allegedly threatened her future mother-in-law with a multi-million dollar lawsuit if she does not retract what she has said.
This comes after Marius Borg Høiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s eldest son, spent more than 30 hours in custody following an incident at an apartment in Frogner, Oslo, where a woman in her 20s called police on 4 August.
According It is and TimeThe 27-year-old allegedly assaulted the woman “psychologically and physically.”
Now, speaking for the first time, former car mechanic Høiby, labelled the “black sheep” of the Norwegian royal family, has made a frank admission of his guilt and offered a obsequious apology to Ms Arntsen and her loved ones.
In his statement, issued through his lawyer to state broadcaster NRK earlier this week, he said he suffers from “several mental disorders” and has “struggled with substance abuse for a long time” and will now resume treatment.
Photographs taken at his lover’s home in Oslo after the argument reportedly show a knife stuck in the wall and a broken chandelier. In July, Borg Høiby announced his relationship with Arntsen.
It is unknown whether Marius will attend the wedding of Princess Martha and Shaman Durek.