Princess Martha Louise of Norway was seen today saying goodbye to her wedding guests following her controversial marriage to an American shaman.
The 52-year-old, fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, was wearing a pink trouser suit as she left the Union Hotel in the picturesque fjordside village of Geirganger, where she had married yesterday.
Earlier, her new husband, California-born spiritual guru Durek Verrett, revealed how his wife, the princess, had been partying until 4am and insisted he was not a “crazy charlatan”.
Dressed in a black blazer and open-necked pink shirt, Verrett, 49, joked: ‘The party went on until about 4am, 3.30 or something.
“And I passed out and you know Martha likes to keep going and that’s a very Norwegian thing, so all the Norwegians are still going and all the Americans are sleeping.”
Princess Martha Louise of Norway was seen today saying goodbye to her wedding guests following her controversial marriage to an American shaman.
Verrett said his most lasting memories of the wedding ceremony were “crying in the arms of his groomsmen” and “watching (Princess) Martha (Louise) walk down the aisle.”
The shaman said: ‘(What I remember most) is spending time with my groomsmen, crying in their arms. (And) seeing (Princess) Martha (Louise) come into the room and seeing how beautiful she looked, how radiant she looked.’
Verrett revealed how Queen Sonja, whom he referred to as “Mum”, had made a “life-changing speech” but refused to divulge what the Queen actually said.
The shaman, who claims to come from a long line of spiritual gurus and speak to angels and spirits, announced he will be moving permanently to Norway after his marriage.
Verrett said: “I’ve already been living 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 charlatan”.
The shaman said: “I understand why the press wants to follow us, cover us and persecute us. (But) the press has to have both sides. It can’t be all bad.
“I’m not a bad person. I’m not evil or any of the things people try to make me out to be. I’m not some crazy charlatan.”
Earlier, her new husband, California-born spiritual guru Durek Verrett, revealed how his wife, the princess, had been partying until 4am and insisted he was not a “crazy charlatan”.
Dressed in a black blazer and pink open-necked shirt, Verrett, 49, joked: “The party went on until about 4am, 3.30 or something.”
The 52-year-old, fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, was wearing a pink trouser suit as she left the Union Hotel in the picturesque fjordside village of Geirganger, where she had married yesterday.
Märtha, 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 Märtha, as she was forced to step down from her role as a working member of the royal family due to her fiancé’s controversial views.
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.
Following their nuptials, senior members of Norway’s royal family partied into the early hours of this morning to celebrate Princess Martha Louise’s controversial marriage to Durek.
King Harald, 87 years old and in fragile health, did not return to his royal yacht, anchored off the coast of the Geiranger Fjord, until after 1 a.m.
Queen Sonja, who is also 87, told reporters waiting on the quayside that she had enjoyed the gala dinner.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway leaves the Union Hotel in Gieranger
Verrett said her most lasting memories of the wedding ceremony were “crying in the arms of her groomsmen” and “watching (Princess) Martha (Louise) walk” down the aisle.
Sharman Durek Verrett shows off her wedding ring outside the Union Hotel in Gieranger, Norway
The heir apparent, Crown Prince Haakon, his wife Princess Mette-Marit, and their children Princess Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, stayed until the end and left the party at 3 a.m.
They were pictured waving to reporters as they took a motorboat to the royal yacht, which has been protected by a Norwegian Navy vessel. Princess Mette-Marit said: “There were many highlights (at the wedding).
Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon gave speeches at the wedding banquet, but not King Harald, who had given the speech at his daughter’s first wedding to writer Ari Behn in 2002.
The four-day wedding celebrations concluded today with a sumptuous brunch until 13:00. Guests were then taken by bus and ferry to Ålesund Airport, about two and a half hours away.
The newlywed couple delighted the crowds lining the streets outside their wedding venue last night by sharing a kiss before the gala dinner.
Social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities were among the guests when the Norwegian king’s eldest daughter married the self-proclaimed American 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 top tourist attractions, situated on a fjord with stunning views.
The newlyweds had taken an impromptu stroll to thank the few dozen people who had come to the small town by the fjord to pay their respects.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her American fiancé Shaman Durek delighted crowds lining the streets by sharing a kiss after their wedding.
The couple shared a kiss in front of the press and spectators after the ceremony.
Princess Martha and her husband Durek greeted the crowd from a balcony
The couple left the Union Hotel in Geiranger shortly after 6:30 pm local time to loud applause from the crowd.
Families with small children, elderly residents and young couples had waited for hours to see the princess and her new husband.
The newlyweds beamed with pride as they waved to the crowds, before heading back to the hotel for the wedding breakfast and partying which lasted into the early hours of this morning.
The wedding festivities began on Thursday, but the actual wedding ceremony took place yesterday afternoon in a large white tent set up in a farm meadow overlooking a spectacular fjord.
Guests told media that the event featured performances by Norwegian and American artists along with a gospel choir and a singer representing Norway’s indigenous Sami people.
Norwegian TV presenter Harald Ronneberg told public broadcaster NRK: “It was fantastic! It was a mix of Hollywood and Geiranger. It was gospel and love. We laughed, we clapped and we were emotional. It was absolutely beautiful.”
The couple sold the rights to the wedding photographs to British celebrity magazine Hello! and the film rights to Netflix.
The agreements have sparked protests from Norwegian media, which claim the deal goes against local practices.
The couple has often lashed out at the press while promoting themselves on social media.