Once upon a time in the distant, icy kingdom of Norway, there lived a beautiful princess…
Well, not quite. This is no fairy tale. This is a true, modern-day story about a Norwegian princess—and nothing about it resembles Cinderella, the beloved character from the French writer Charles Perrault.
Princess Märtha Louise did not grow up lonely or mistreated by a wicked stepmother. She never had to flee a royal ball at midnight, nor did she leave behind a glass slipper for a handsome prince to find. And although fairy tales often end with a kind fairy godmother who transforms a girl’s fate with a magic wand, today’s story features no such wand—yet it has managed to shake the Norwegian royal family in extraordinary ways.
Princess Märtha Louise, the only daughter of King Harald V, descends from none other than Queen Victoria of England. King Harald V ascended the throne in 1991. He and Queen Sonja have two children: Märtha Louise, the eldest, and Crown Prince Haakon. However, because Norway once upheld a male-preference succession system—familiar to many cultures—the princess, despite being the firstborn, ranked fourth in line to the throne, behind her younger brother and his two children. Norway eventually corrected this gender-biased law, but only for those born in 1990 or later. Unfortunately for Märtha Louise, born in 1971, the new rule did not apply.
A Simple Dream
“I am not a king, so my dreams are simple—
Like loving a flower blooming on a rocky hillside…”
These lyrics from Vietnamese songwriter Trần Thiện Thanh beautifully capture Princess Märtha Louise’s own wish. Yet, that “simple dream” of hers has stirred controversy across Norway, fueling countless headlines and even inspiring a documentary titled Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story.
Had she chosen the traditional princess path—marrying a prince, nobleman, or wealthy tycoon—she might have enjoyed the happily-ever-after that so many royal women have experienced: Masako in Japan, Diana and Camilla in England. But Märtha Louise chose differently. She chose love over rank. She walked away from her royal title to marry a commoner, earning her the label of Norway’s rebellious royal.
She announced:
“I have decided that I will no longer carry out official duties for the royal family,”
explaining that the choice was made to “create peace within the royal household.”
In short, at 54 years old, Princess Märtha Louise chose love—pure and simple—over status, privilege, and the weight of monarchy.
Walking Away from the Palace
She is not the first royal to place love above tradition, rank, or national expectation.
- King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson, making way for his brother George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Princess Margaret sacrificed her love for Peter Townsend in order to keep her royal status—yet endured a troubled and turbulent life thereafter.
- Prince Harry relinquished royal duties to marry American actress Meghan Markle and moved to the United States.
- Princess Mako of Japan gave up her title to marry a commoner.
- Prince Andrew, brother of the current King Charles III, lost all titles and royal privileges due to scandals—the first case of its kind in royal history.
- Even Princess Märtha Louise’s brother, Haakon Magnus, future king of Norway, married a single mother with ties to troubled social circles—relationships that continue to raise eyebrows, especially after her son was convicted of violent crimes.
Many royals have surrendered titles for love. Only Princess Margaret chose royalty over love. Princess Märtha Louise chose the opposite—and the public has not hesitated to criticize her choice as odd, even “unlike anyone else.”
Loving a Shaman
Princess Märtha Louise met Shaman Durek Verrett during a healing session, describing the encounter as overwhelmingly emotional—“as if we had known each other in past lives.” She said she felt an immediate surge of spiritual energy when she met him.
Verrett, an American spiritual practitioner based in Los Angeles, calls himself a sixth-generation shaman. Whether the word shaman in English is equivalent to the Vietnamese pháp sư is up for interpretation. He does not, as stereotypes suggest, dance with incense or chant mysterious spells. But he openly claims he can communicate with spirits.
Their timeline:
- Met in 2018
- Went public in 2019
- Engaged in 2022
- Married in 2024
Verrett says his mother foretold—when he was only 14—that he would someday marry a Norwegian princess and become part of the royal family. A remarkable prophecy indeed.
Princess Märtha Louise has three daughters from her first marriage. She and her ex-husband divorced after 14 years. Verrett’s personal life is more complex: he married a woman in 2005 and divorced in 2009, later became engaged to his male business partner (2007–2015), and in 2018 met the princess who would become his wife.
Their connection is so intense that Märtha Louise writes in her memoir that she communicates with angels. Verrett, meanwhile, teaches that food carries vibrational energy and can influence a person’s spiritual frequency—ideas grounded in alternative medicine.
A Royal Wedding and a Public Backlash
Their lavish wedding took place on August 31, 2024, in Geiranger, attended by King Harald and the royal family. Verrett has since moved to Norway but retains U.S. citizenship. The couple plans to divide their lives between both countries.
But many Norwegians are far from pleased. Some accuse Verrett of “bewitching” the princess. Others call him a fraud—comparable to superstitious healers or spirit mediums. Racial bias also plays a role: a white Norwegian princess marrying a Black American man with a bisexual past is more than conservative Norway is prepared to accept. The fact that he practices alternative healing, in stark contrast to modern medicine, heightens public distrust.
A Tragic Twist
Despite his spiritual reputation, Verrett struggles with severe health issues. His kidneys have failed him repeatedly. At 28, he nearly died from kidney failure and spent eight years on dialysis until his sister donated a kidney in 2012. Sadly, that transplanted kidney has since failed, and he is once again dependent on dialysis three times a week.
Given the lack of public details, it is unclear what caused his kidney disease or whether he also suffers from hypertension, heart problems, or diabetes.
According to the American Kidney Fund, patients on dialysis typically live 5–10 years, sometimes longer depending on age and underlying conditions. They must adhere to strict medical supervision, specialized diets, and lifestyle limitations—none of which can be addressed by alternative medicine alone.
No Fairy-Tale Ending
Not all royal romances end in fairy-tale bliss. The Norwegian princess’s beloved—unfortunately—faces a life-threatening illness, a reality that many whisper about but few publicly acknowledge.
Duc Ha
Written exclusively for HuuTri.org
Sources: “Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett Are Making Peace with Their Critics,” Town & Country Magazine