The princess and the shaman: Norway's royal wedding unlike any other

A Norwegian princess marrying her Hollywood fiancé — it sounds like exactly the sort of fairy tale to charm a world beset by war and political strife.

But the wedding on Saturday of Princess Märtha Louise to Durek Verrett, an American spiritual healer and self-professed shaman, is mired in controversy and criticism.

Märtha Louise, 52, is the eldest daughter of Norway's long-reigning and widely popular King Harald, 87. She began dating California native Verrett in 2019 after the princess divorced her first husband two years earlier. The pair got engaged in 2022.

The nuptials will play out in Geiranger, a scenic town at the head of the Geirangerfjord, a majestic fjord flanked by snowcapped mountains that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The king, Queen Sonja, heir to the throne Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will all attend, the royal family says. They will be joined by reality stars, media influencers and TV personalities, with image rights exclusively sold to Netflix and Hello! magazine.

But away from this secluded spot, the picture is not so harmonious. 

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The wedding has intensified scrutiny and criticism of the views — and associated businesses — pedaled by the princess and the shaman. And it has added to a growing tone of dissatisfaction with the historically popular Norwegian royals.

Verrett describes himself as a "sixth-generation shaman" who has "studied extensively" to extract "the best from all the world philosophies, religions,