Norway princess to marry shaman who claims he died and came back to life

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is set to tie the knot with self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett on August 31. The 52-year-old is the eldest of Norwegian King Harald’s two children and was previously married to the late writer and artist Ari Behn. The couple divorced in 2017 and had three daughters together. Behn was suffering from depression and died on Christmas Day 2019.

Märtha calls herself a clairvoyant and claims that she can speak with angels. Meanwhile, Verrett says he is a sixth-generation shaman and calls himself a “servant of god and energy activator”. He even claimed in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine that he had risen from the dead.

In 2002, Durek claimed that he died of renal failure and came back to life. This he said put him on the path to being a shaman.

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Verrett might be tying the knot with Princess Märtha on Saturday, but he claims he is merely renewing their vows. He has publicly said that he was a pharaoh in past life and Martha Louise was his wife. He further claims that when he was a child a relative predicted he would one day marry the princess of Norway.

The couple has courted controversy several times over the years. Princess Märtha started her own business in 2002 after giving up her honorific “Her Royal Highness” title. She was not supposed to use the title for her commercial endeavours but has often broken the rule, as per reports. Recently, she and Verrett came out with a “wedding gin” in Norway with her princess title on the label.

Princess Märtha was also running a school that apparently taught the students to “create miracles” and talk to angels.

Durek Verrett has high-profile clients

Verrett reportedly used strange treatments and methods on his clients. Hollywood celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas are among his followers.

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According to Vanity Fair, if you take a session with Verrett, you need to sign a waiver. It carries some strange terms, including sexual. As per the publication, the waiver mentions that you "consent to any and all treatments, methods, and techniques necessary that Shaman Durek may perform in your session as determined by him."

"This includes but is not limited to physical touching, energy healing, releasing of toxins…, energetic entry or physical touching of my genitals or electric shock treatment in the spine."

The session can be terminated "if you try to kiss or touch him; fondle yourself; get undressed or try undressing him; attempt to have intercourse or oral sex with him or sex with yourself; or threaten him in any way."

Princess Märtha announced in 2019 that she and Verrett were together with an Instagram post. She wrote, "To those of you who feel the need to criticise: Hold your horses. It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me. Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfils me."

The wedding

The wedding festivities kicked off on Thursday. The couple will tie the knot in the scenic Norwegian town of Geiranger. Several members of the Swedish royal family, social media influencers and TV personalities will attend the ceremony. Guests have been told not to use mobile phones and not to post anything on social media.