The Norwegian royal family is set to celebrate the wedding of Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett at the historic Hotel Union in Geiranger on August 31, with festivities beginning the preceding Thursday.
This marks the second marriage for Princess Martha, daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, who shares three daughters with her late ex-husband, Ari Behn.
Martha began dating shaman Durek Verrett in 2019, and their engagement was announced in June 2022. But what do we know about the groom? Here’s what you need to know ahead of the royal wedding.
Durek Verrett describes himself as a sixth-generation shaman with a mission to bring the ancient practice of shamanism into the mainstream by helping people cultivate love and accept themselves and others.
Born in Sacramento, California, Durek was raised in the United States. Martha has publicly refuted claims, including those from his estranged mother, Veruschka Urquhart, that he did not have a wealthy upbringing.
In April, Martha shared a series of photos on Instagram of Durek’s childhood home, now valued at over £2 million. She included a statement from one of Durek’s childhood friends, who said he was “one of the richest kids at school.”
Martha clarified, “This time they are repeating the lie that Durek was not from a wealthy family as a child… when the truth is that he grew up in a good neighborhood, his mum left him at an early age, and it was in reality his mum not having money, not him. Durek’s father’s bankruptcy came after Durek moved out, so he was not affected by it. This is the house Durek grew up in, in Foster City, California. It is worth more than NOK £30m [£2.2m] today and is 321 square metres [3,455 square feet].”
On his website, Durek describes himself as “a visionary for the Now Age” and someone who is “redefining what wellness means.” He has nearly half a million Instagram followers and boasts several Hollywood connections.
His celebrity clients have included Gwyneth Paltrow, Selma Blair, Nina Dobrev, Rosario Dawson, and Bulletproof Coffee founder Dave Asprey.
Gwyneth Paltrow has praised him, saying, “His appeal is that he is both human and otherworldly. He receives hugs with the openness of a child. He’s disarming with big laughs but can tell you everything about yourself just by touching your arm.”
Durek will become a stepfather to Martha’s three daughters—Maud Angelica, 20, Leah Isadora, 18, and Emma Tallulah, 15. Martha also has a brother, Crown Prince Haakon, 51, who shares two children with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit: Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
While the couple maintained a long-distance relationship for a time, Durek recently moved to Norway in preparation for the wedding. He shared on the HeartSmart podcast, “When I was away from her, I would get her in moments, and then she’d leave and I’d cry and get back to doing what I do. For me, what gets me is that I get to wake up every day to this beautiful woman.”
