Princess Martha Louise of Norway will this weekend marry a self-proclaimed shaman, who claims to have "risen from the dead". Ms Louise and her American fiance Durek Verrett will get married during a private ceremony in Geiranger, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its stunning fjords.
The festivities kicked off with a "meet and greet" at a historic hotel in Alesund, where hundreds of guests, including members of the Swedish royal family and American TV personalities, gathered to celebrate the union. The wedding itinerary includes a scenic boat trip along the fjord to Geiranger, where the couple will exchange vows.
Princess Martha Louise, 52, is the eldest child of King Harald V of Norway and was once a competitive equestrian. Mr Verrett, 49, is a Hollywood spiritual guru.
Durek, in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2020, shared he had died at age 28. He suffered seizures, organ failure and flatlined for four minutes. During this intense moment, he claimed to have felt like flaming knives were stabbing him and heard his grandmother's spirit telling him to let go.
However, his mind took him back to his "mother's womb", where he relived every moment of his life and re-met every person he had ever known. After being resuscitated, Mr Verret spent two months in a coma and eight years on dialysis, until his sister donated a kidney in 2012. He believes his recovery required him to think with his "expansive soul" rather than his "limiting brain."
Mr Verret's spiritual practices and claims, including his assertion that he rose from the dead, have raised eyebrows in Norway, a country known for its more conservative royal traditions.
Mr Verrett is an African-American spiritual advisor who counts celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas among his followers. He has suggested that cancer is a choice, advocated exercises to remove "imprints" from women's bodies left by previous sexual partners, and sold $222 medallions on his website, claiming they helped him overcome COVID-19. These beliefs have led to him being labelled as a "charlatan, a quack" by Norwegian columnist Dagfinn Nordbo.
Despite the controversy, Princess Martha Louise, who is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, has stood by her fiance.
Ms Louise introduced Mr Verrett to the world via an Instagram post in 2019. In the post, she defended her choice, urging critics to refrain from judgment and stressing that Mr Verrett was simply "a man I love spending my time with."
The princess, a divorced mother of three daughters, has long been involved in alternative therapies and claims to be a clairvoyant, having the ability to speak with angels. She has profited from these beliefs through books and courses, which has also drawn criticism.
Martha Louise and Durek Verrett announced their engagement in June 2022.
In November 2022, Ms Louise relinquished her royal duties to pursue a career in holistic healing and spirituality with Mr Verrett. While she retained her title, she agreed not to use it for commercial purposes. The princess was previously married to writer Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019, three years after their divorce.
