Princess Martha Louise of Norway is set to marry Durek Verrett, a self-proclaimed shaman who claims to have “risen from the dead,” this weekend.
The couple will exchange vows in a private ceremony at Geiranger, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its breathtaking fjords.
The wedding festivities began 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 event itinerary features a picturesque boat journey along the fjord to Geiranger, where the ceremony will take place.
Princess Martha Louise, 52, the eldest daughter of King Harald V of Norway, was once a competitive equestrian. Her fiancé, 49-year-old Durek Verrett, is a Hollywood spiritual guru.
In a 2020 interview, Durek revealed that he had died at age 28 due to seizures and organ failure, flatlining for four minutes.
During this near-death experience, he described feeling as though flaming knives were piercing him and hearing his grandmother’s spirit urging 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-encountered everyone he had ever known.
After being resuscitated, Durek spent two months in a coma and underwent eight years of 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.”
Durek’s spiritual practices and claims, including his assertion that he rose from the dead, have drawn skepticism in Norway, a country known for its conservative royal traditions.
An African-American spiritual advisor, Durek counts celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas among his followers.
He has made controversial claims, such as suggesting that cancer is a choice, advocating exercises to remove “imprints” from women’s bodies left by previous sexual partners, and selling $222 medallions on his website that he claimed helped him overcome COVID-19.
These beliefs have led Norwegian columnist Dagfinn Nordbo to label him a “charlatan, a quack.”
Despite the controversy, Princess Martha Louise, who is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, has remained supportive of her fiancé.
She introduced Durek to the public in a 2019 Instagram post, defending her choice and urging critics not to judge, emphasizing that Durek is “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 clairvoyant, with the ability to communicate with angels. She has monetized these beliefs through books and courses, which has also attracted criticism.
Martha Louise and Durek Verrett announced their engagement in June 2022.
In November 2022, Princess Martha Louise stepped down from her royal duties to pursue a career in holistic healing and spirituality alongside Durek.
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.
