Princess and shaman husband announce paid event promising fans ‘rare and intimate’ meet and greet

Two of Europe’s most polarising quasi-royals have announced a ‘rare’ opportunity for fans to meet them during a paid event promoting a “heartfelt and transformative experience” described as an “intimate, in-person LoveShop”.

Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise will appear alongside her American husband Shaman Durek Verrett at a health and wellbeing festival in the UK, with tickets costing $250 per day.

The couple recently announced plans to appear in a new reality television series, to air later this year, after making international headlines when they starred in the Netflix documentary Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, which drew condemnation from the Royal House of Norway and their critics.

Märtha Louise and Shaman Verrett were accused of exploiting their royal connections, renewing calls for the princess to be stripped of her titles.

The 140-minute program, which aired last year, followed the couple in the lead up to their three-day wedding, from their first meeting in 2018 to their engagement and the scandals that have followed them every step of the way.

Princess Märtha Louise is the eldest daughter of King Harald V, Europe’s oldest serving monarch, and Queen Sonja. Her brother is Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the throne.

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Her 22-year-old niece is Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who recently returned to Norway to be with her mother Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who had a lung transplant in June.

Ingrid Alexandra had moved to Australia last year to begin a three-year bachelor degree at the University of Sydney, which she will now do on exchange in Oslo.

While Princess Märtha Louise does not carry out official duties on behalf of the royal family, she remains fourth in the line of succession.

In 2022, Märtha Louise agreed to stop using her royal title for her commercial endeavours after a long-running disagreement with the palace, after previously stating in 2019 that the word “princess” would not be used by her for business reasons.

Part of the agreement also stated she and Verrett were not to use their royal connections in any of their business activities.

Their participation in Rebel Royals saw the palace issue a statement, accusing the couple of being in “breach of the agreement with the Royal House”, adding there needed to be a “clearer distinction between the activities of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett and the Royal House”.

Because of the previous clashes with the palace, Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek have been careful with the promotion of their latest money-making ventures.

A flyer for the wellness festival in September has no mention of their royal links and Märtha Louise is not listed as “princess”.

Verrett announced their involvement at the Om & Bass Festival on September 5 and 6, an event he said was “rooted in healing, community, and the belief that when we transform ourselves we create a ripple of positive change”.

“As part of the festival, Märtha Louise and I will be holding an intimate, in-person LoveShop, a rare opportunity to meet us, learn with us, and share space together in a heartfelt and transformative experience,” he said.

Money raised from ticket sales will go towards ending human trafficking and child marriage.

Princess Märtha Louise relinquished her style of royal highness in 2002 and has never shied away from the spotlight, leaning into her eccentric reputation.

Since withdrawing from official royal duties 20 years ago, Märtha Louise has pursued work in alternative therapies, including opening a training centre for clairvoyants commonly known as the “angel school”.

She is described as a “visionary, leader, healer, seer and author” on promotional material for the festival, while her shaman husband is listed as a “healer, humanitarian and bridge builder”.

In the past, Verrett has been labelled a conspiracy theorist and conman by some of his critics and Norway’s consumer watchdog blocked the sale of items from his online shop during the coronavirus pandemic, including medallions he claimed could ward off the disease.

In June, Princess Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek confirmed they would take part in Alternative Norway, a six-part reality series that will give a “warm, entertaining and intimate” insight into Norway’s esoteric scene.

“I am connected to God, and if that makes people uncomfortable − well, then you’re going to be very uncomfortable,” Verrett said of the show.

It would be “transformative” for Norway, he added.

Märtha Louise told Norway’s TV 2: “I am very happy to be part of creating a bridge and normalising this, so that more people dare to come forward and say who they are. The most important thing in life is that we dare to be ourselves.”