If you think Prince Harry has been the only one to step down from his duties as a ‘senior’ royal family member, along with his wife Meghan Markle, you are mistaken. There have been several examples from the recent past of Royals quitting their position and status. Their circumstances may not have been the same, but it’s been done in the past and will continue to happen, it seems.
The latest example of a Royal leaving their family and status comes from Norway.
Prince Martha Louise, the daughter of the present King of Norway, Herald V, relinquished her royal duties in November 2022. Why, you may ask.
Well, according to the official statement issued from the palace, it was to break free from the restrictions that come with the royal role so she could pursue her other interests more freely.
The official statement refrained from going into the details of ‘other interests.’ But media reports (and the public believes) that the reason behind Norway’s Princess’ royal exit is to build an independent life with her fiancé Durek Verrett, an American businessman who’s also an alternative therapist and a 6th generation, self-proclaimed shaman. The latter two roles do not seem to sit well with Norwegians, and Verrett has been under fire for these.
Even though he has a big following in the States that includes many celebrities, Durek has been quite heavily criticized by the Norwegian media and the public. He has been called a conman and conspiracy theorist. The 47-year-old American shaman who’s soon to marry Princess Martha is also bisexual and, as the Norwegian Princess said, is very open about it. While she doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, the Norwegian society does.
Princess Martha Louise is also looking to build a career/business in alternative medicine with her fiancé.
The Norwegian Princess has stepped away from her royal duties but retains the ‘Princess’ title. It’s pertinent to mention that she lost her honorific title of ‘Her Royal Highness’ in 2002 when she decided to work as a clairvoyant. She also agreed not to use her ‘princess’ title in her commercial endeavors in 2019. It was to draw a line between Martha’s commercial activities and the royal house, the notification issued from the palace following the announcement declared.
It was the same year when the Princess and Durek Verrett officially made their relationship public.
The 51-year-old Norwegian Princess has three daughters from her former husband, Ari Behn, who she married in 2002. The couple decided to part ways after being together for over a decade and a half and divorced in 2017. Two years later, Behn lost his life to suicide on Christmas day.