Norwegian royal family pose with princess after she wed American shaman

The Norwegian royal family shared a glamorous photo of the bridal party after Princess Martha Louise wed an American shaman.
The bride and groom Durek Verrett beamed while surrounded by 38 of their closest friends and family as they gathered for the celebrations in the picturesque UNESCO-listed Geiranger Fjord.

The seven bridesmaids, who wore light pink and carried matching bouquets, are standing on the groom’s side in the picture, and three flower girls sat crouched on the bride’s trail in white lacey dresses.
King Harald, who has been in fragile health the past few years, and Queen Sonja were on their daughter’s side, as were the groomsmen.

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Princess marries shaman

The picture, shared on The Royal House of Norway website, was captioned: “Congratulations! Princess Martha Louise and Mr. Durek Verrett got married in Geiranger today, 31. August 2024.”

The princess, 52, met Mr Verrett, 49, in 2019 after they were introduced by a mutual friend, announcing their engagement three years later.
Their wedding celebrations began on Thursday, where members of other European royal families and celebrities descended on Saturday for the official ceremony.

Image: Pic: NTB/Heiko Junge/via Reuters

Image: Pic: NTB/Heiko Junge/via Reuters
Guests told media outlets that Norwegian and American artists performed at the event along with a gospel choir and a singer representing Norway’s indigenous Sami people.
“It was fantastic! It was Hollywood meets Geiranger,” Norwegian TV personality Harald Rønneberg described the colorful ceremony to public broadcaster NRK.

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“It was gospel and love. We laughed, we clapped, and we were touched. It was absolutely beautiful.”
Read more: Meet the Norwegian princess marrying a shaman

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The couple sold the wedding photo rights to British celebrity magazine Hello! and the film rights to Netflix.
The deals prompted protests from Norwegian media, which said the arrangement goes against local practices.
It is the princess’s second marriage. She married author and artist Ari Behn in 2002. The couple had three daughters: Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19, and Emma Tallulah, 15.

Image: Pic: NTB/Heiko Junge/via Reuters

They divorced in 2017. He died by suicide on Christmas Day 2019 following years of mental health problems and alcoholism.
The princess lost the title of “royal highness” in 2002 over public concerns she was using her constitutional role to help her start her own business. She stepped down from royal duties entirely in 2022 but has been allowed to retain her princess title.

Source : Sky News