Princess Martha Louise and Shaman Durek Verrett reveal first meeting and love story

Ahead of their nuptials this weekend, Princess Martha Louise of Norway and shaman Durek Verrett have opened up about their love story.

The couple told Hello Magazine all about how they first met – by introduction of mutual friend, Hollywood health and wellness guru Millana Snow.

Martha had a healing session with Snow in 2018, after which the guru remarked that the only other time she felt "such intense levels of energy" was with Verrett.

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"'You two have to meet,' she said. But it was a few months before Durek reached out to arrange it," the royal recalled.

Verrett says he was hesitant to start something when he heard that his blind date was a Princess.

"But then a friend told me, 'What if she's the person you've been waiting for?'" he recalled, which gave him the courage to invite her to lunch at his Hollywood Hills Home.

Martha remembered the moment fondly: "The moment he opened the door, I felt like I was greeting an old friend. 'I know you already,' I said, to which he replied: 'Yes, we were destined to meet before we were born.'

"I internally rolled my eyes, thinking he was another LA dude. But when he did an energy reading for a close friend, he was spot-on and I knew then he was the real deal."

The pair originally kept the relationship as a long-distance platonic one, with Verrett being conscious of Martha's royal status.

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"She was from a different world, a royal family," he said.

"I wanted to make sure that if we were going to be together it was for the right reasons, that her being a princess had nothing to do with it, and we built the foundations properly."

But soon neither could deny their feelings.

"As our relationship developed, Martha told me she was falling in love with me. And I was falling in love with her, too," he said.

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"I did a lot of soul-searching before our friendship turned into a relationship."

The pair continued their relationship for three years before Verrett decided to pop the question – but not before getting the blessing of his in-laws, the King and Queen of Norway.

"I have old school views on courtship, and asking for Martha's hand in marriage was about respect," Verrett explained.

"The King and Queen asked me questions about myself and the future, and went quiet for a bit. I was sweating as I waited for their response - and then they turned to me and said they'd love to have me as part of the family."

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Martha gushed in response, "At my age, I could choose for myself! But my parents had to wait nine years before they could wed and always told me they wanted me to marry whoever I wanted."

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