Norway's fascinating royal wedding is upon us
Princess Martha Louise and shaman Durek Verrett will marry this weekend
Hi Royal Clubbers,
It's Ainhoa here with my weekly Monday newsletter.
This week marks an important one in the world of royalty. In case you missed it, Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her fiancé Durek Verrett are getting married on Saturday 31 August and HELLO! has the exclusive rights to the wedding. We'll be publishing all the details and photos from their three-day extravaganza, which kicks off this Thursday.
Ahead of the ceremony, which will take place in the picturesque Geiranger village in western Norway, Martha Louise and Durek sat down with HELLO! for a pre-wedding interview. For context and for those who may not know much about them, the couple have faced huge opposition and challenges since they started dating in 2019. So much so that the princess stepped down from royal duties in 2022 because of her partner's controversial and alternative beliefs.
Instead, she's been focusing on her spiritual practices; Martha Louise says she can communicate with animals and angels and runs her own alternative therapy centre, Astarte Education, to teach others to do so too.
At the time of her royal exit, she told the BBC: "There's been so much turmoil with me taking a different path than being a traditional royal, there's been a lot of criticism over the years, especially with me being spiritual, and in Norway that's taboo… The Norwegian people, I guess, have decided it's best for me to step down because of [Durek's] views about things."
This weekend's wedding is sure to be a very colourful affair. I can't wait to see what personal details the bride and groom will include, what vows Martha Louise and Durek – who are famed for their us-against-the-world attitude – will recite, and what the bride will wear.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about this fascinating couple and their upcoming Norwegian wedding…