In just over a week's time, Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her fiancé Durek Verrett will tie the knot in a spectacular ceremony in the bride's home country, in a wedding exclusively covered by HELLO!
The couple confirmed their relationship, and business partnership, in May 2019, after meeting through a mutual friend in the year before. Their commercial ventures have included hosting seminars titled "The Princess and the Shaman".
And in June 2022, Martha Louise and Durek announced their engagement.
Take a look at their love story so far ahead of their three-day wedding extravaganza next week…
Martha Louise and Durek make it official
The princess, 52, went public with her romance in May 2019, three years after her divorce from her first husband Ari Behn, who sadly died seven months later, was finalised.
Taking to Instagram she shared a photo of herself and Durek, an American shaman, and wrote: "When you meet your twin flame, you know. I have been lucky enough to have met mine. @shamandurek has changed my life, like he does with so many."
Detailing his qualities, she added: "He has made me realize that unconditional love actually exists here on this planet. He embraces all of me without question or fear. He makes me laugh more than anyone, has the most profound wisdom to share and all the bits in between from the diversity of his being. I feel so happy and blessed that he is my boyfriend. Thank you my love, for including me so generously into your family. I love you from this eternity to the next."
Martha Louise was also quick to silence any negativity, adding: "And to those of you who feel the need to criticize: Hold your horses. It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me. I don't choose my man to satisfy any of you or the norms or boxes you have chosen in your mind for me to be in. I don't thrive there, nor do I exist in your illusion about me. I choose from love. And that's it. Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfills me. So thank you for respecting my actions and my choice of partner. All I know at this moment is that we love each other and I am super happy. Have a wonderful, loving Sunday and Mother's Day (for the USA)."
The HELLO! Royal Club special offer
HELLO!'s biggest royal fans over at The HELLO! Royal Club are set to receive exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the wedding of the year this Saturday, including that most intimate of wedding staples: the first dance. Don't want to miss out on Princess Martha Louise's big day? Then why not take advantage of our special offer: join the club before this Sunday and get a celebratory 20% off annual membership.
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There's 'Norway' you will want to miss out...
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The couple's engagement
After three years of dating, Durek popped the question under an oak tree at a friend's horse farm in San Juan Capistrano, California. "It was really beautiful, like a blessing from the horses," Martha Louise told Town & Country.
"It was a perfect commemoration to our love for horses and our love for each other," Durek added.
The shaman proposed with a pale green Brazilian emerald and diamond piece filled with symbolism – four pyramid diamonds to symbolise earth, air, fire, and water; three diamonds to represent the princess' three daughters; and a Viking knot for eternal love.
Durek started designing the engagement ring less than two years into their relationship, and when the time felt right, he asked Martha Louise's parents King Harald and Queen Sonja for their blessing.
"The queen asked me of my prospects and how I would be able to take care of her and the kids and so forth," Durek told Town & Country. "There was a moment of silence. And I think that was the part that scared me the most. But they said yes."
Martha Louise announced her engagement on Instagram in June 2022, showing off her exquisite ring.
"I am so happy to announce that I am engaged to Shaman Durek, the one who makes my heart skip, the one who sees me and acknowledges me from my highest potential, who makes me laugh and who I can be vulnerable with," she wrote.
"Love transcends and makes us grow. And I am so happy to continue to grow with this beautiful man. Thank you to all my friends and family who have stood steadfast by our side and special thanks to @hegecfossum and @stargatemusic for your generosity and making our day truly special. [photo] @babak_golkar and @max_bouchard."
Moving in together
© InstagramThe couple had a long-distance relationship when they first met, especially as COVID struck in 2020. During the pandemic, they wrote poetry to each other in a shared book and sent it back and forth between the United States, where Durek was based, and Norway.
The groom-to-be only relocated to Norway earlier this summer ahead of the wedding.
"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," Durek said on his fiancée's podcast HeartSmart Conversations.
Durek recently shared a peek into his new life in Europe, posting an Instagram photo of himself enjoying a boat day with his bride-to-be: "Living in Norway has unlocked a new level of bliss, darlings! Picture this: cruising the stunning fjords with your beloved @iam_marthalouise and friends @toregrimstad @wambui73 @drmariannevestnes, the sun kissing your face, and a spread of delicious food and drinks at your fingertips."
What they've said about each other
© GettyThe couple openly pay tribute to each other on social media and share loved-up selfies and photos.
On Martha Louise's podcast HeartSmart Conversations, Durek reflected on his relationship with his future wife: "I wake up and the first thing I think about is how lucky I am to be with this amazing woman. I'm always staring at her, telling her how beautiful she is, how smart she is, what a gift to life she is."
He also revealed his excitement about their future together: "To me, marriage isn't just you getting married to someone, it is literally an act before God, that I am merging my life with her children, with her family, with my family, and really showing up.
"That's something that I really love about myself, I love that I'm the type of man that shows up. I love being able to show up for her, I love showing up for her kids, and I love how my family shows up for her, and I love how her family shows up for me."
Martha said she was "very much forward to our wedding," while her soon-to-be-husband added: "It's really going to be nice for me because I have so much love for Norway... I'm just really excited about all my friends coming from all over the world to this wedding, not just to witness our love but to also witness Norway."
Their us-against-the-world attitude
© GettyDespite their happy union, the couple have faced challenges in the past because of their alternative or spiritual views.
Durek has told Town & Country: "It's a bit challenging for people to see something new, to evolve past their comfort zones. We try to understand where people are and find ways to bring about more education, so people can start to see things differently and be comfortable with change. It requires a lot of compassion. It requires a lot of love, a lot of patience."
He continued: "Märtha once said something really beautiful – just because people have their judgements and their beliefs, that just shows where they're at in their capacity for love. It doesn't mean we should change our capacity for love because we see differently."
The wedding will be exclusively covered by HELLO! magazine. Check back on the website and pick up the most recent issues of HELLO! for all the latest news and photos.
