Royal families are not immune to scandals. Perhaps the most talked-about in recent years is the break between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the House of Windsor, but equally fascinating was when Princess Märtha Louise of Norway fell in love with an American named Durek Verrett. His profession as a shaman for celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow attracted enormous media scrutiny to the couple before Verrett became the first African American to marry a member of a European monarchy.
Verrett and Louise met in 2018 and claim they felt an immediate connection. The American has stated that, when Märtha Louise told him that they had already met before, he immediately recalled a past life in Egypt in which she stood by his side on the throne of the pharaoh. In 2024, the couple sold the rights to their wedding to Netflix. And in 2025, the documentary Rebel Royals: An Unusual Love Story premiered on the same platform. In it, Verrett claims to be «half-reptile» and chants while leading a shamanic session.
Although it may seem surprising for a princess to marry a shaman, watching this documentary makes it clear that they fit together perfectly. Not surprisingly, Princess Märtha Louise claims to be clairvoyant and able to communicate with angels. She is versed in medicines and alternative practices, and in 2018 she opened her own center, Astarte Education, where she teaches others to communicate with other realms and with the deceased.
Durek Verrett has very famous friends and has become an influential figure on social media, with half a million followers on Instagram. And although he charges 1,500 euros per session, Verrett considers himself “a shaman for the people”, as stated in Rebel Royals. In the documentary he describes himself as a “sexual soul,” which means that gender does not influence his attraction to people.
Stars of an Esoteric Reality
Unafraid to ever be the center of attention, Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett will now be part of Alternative Norway, a six-episode reality show that will air on Viaplay, the Nordic streaming service, in the autumn. According to the network, this series will offer “a warm, entertaining, and intimate view of the esoteric scene” of the Nordic country. “I am connected to God, and if that makes people uncomfortable… well, they’re going to feel very uncomfortable,” the shaman said in a teaser for the reality show.
Märtha Louise of Norway and her shaman husband.
Meanwhile, the king Harald’s eldest daughter and Queen Sonja told the Norwegian channel TV 2: “I am very happy to help build bridges and normalize this situation, so that more people dare to step forward and say who they are. The most important thing in life is that we dare to be ourselves.” Alongside the marriage, the reality will feature clairvoyants, animal interpreters, and Magnus Store, a “breathing instructor” and son of Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Store.
Princess Märtha Louise retired from her royal duties in 2002 to devote herself to alternative therapies. That has not prevented her relationship with Durek Verrett from being marred by accusations that the couple have exploited their royal status to obtain financial benefits. The shaman’s online store products, including medallions allegedly capable of protecting against the coronavirus, were withdrawn from the market by Norwegian authorities.
The Worst Moment for the Norwegian Royal Family
The announcement of Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett’s reality show could not come at a worse moment for the Norwegian monarchy. On June 15, the verdict in the trial of Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, on 40 charges including rape and domestic violence, will be announced. The prosecution has requested for him a prison sentence of seven years and seven months, and his parole has been denied on several occasions.
The high-profile court case, along with his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, has caused Mette-Marit’s popularity to plummet. A development that coincides with her deteriorating health. Last Friday, the Norwegian royal household confirmed that the wife of Crown Prince Haakon had been placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant. According to her medical team, if she does not receive it, she could have as little as one year to live.
