With a bit of goodwill it can be called a classic royal love story. A princess renounces her privileges to be with her true love. But the story of the Norwegian princess and her American shaman, who sells magic amulets, is a special case.

Märtha Louise (51) is the only daughter of King Harald of Norway and fourth in line to the throne. His brother Haakon is the crown prince. He studied physiotherapy, but little of it. From childhood she developed a penchant for the supernatural.

Communicate with angels

The princess says she is clairvoyant. She communicates with animals and angels, promotes alternative medicine, and has set up a center in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, where students can search for their “inner source of truth” and connect with “angels and the divine universe.”

These spiritual tendencies have made Martha Lewis the target of ridicule in the past. For decades, King Harald and Queen Sonja guarded their daughter’s ‘gifts’. The Queen sometimes compared Martha Louise to witches who would be burned for claiming the earth was round.

But the parents’ loyalty has recently been put to the test. Because after her divorce from writer Ari Behn in 2017, with whom she had three daughters, Martha Louise fell under the spell of American Durek Veret, who counts many Hollywood stars among her followers.

He rose from the dead

Veret claims to have risen from the dead, claiming to be a cross between a reptilian man and the ancient Greek goddess Andromeda. An African-American healer says he predicted the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon two years ago. He advocates that getting sick with cancer is a choice and sells amulets against all kinds of diseases, including corona, over the Internet. A one-hour virtual private session with a healer costs $1,500.

Last June, Martha announced her engagement to Louise Verrett. She wants to marry him. This increased the discomfort in Norway about their relationship. Critics call Verrett a charlatan, exploiting his royal connections to make money through fraud and conspiracy theories. According to conservative leader Erna Solberg, until recently prime minister, Veret’s comments were “very strange.”

In response, Märtha Louise and Verrett argue that the storm of criticism is largely due to racism. The black healer said he had “never experienced so much racism” as in Norway.

No title

Faced with this controversy, the royal family, which has recently seen itself eroding in favor of the monarchy, has given its eggs a run for its money. Last week, the palace announced that Märtha Louise was stepping down from her official duties.

She will retain the title of Princess, but will no longer represent the Crown. If she marries Verret, he won’t get the title. The princess herself insisted the decision was taken in good consultation with her parents to “create peace around the royal family”.