Princess Märtha Louise postpones her wedding with Durek Verrett

Princess Märtha of Norway has postponed her wedding with Shaman Durek Verrett due to her fiancé suffering ill health.

Norwegian magazine Se og Hør has cited "severe kidney disease" as the cause of Verrett's illness.

Verrett, 48, has suffered from kidney disease since the age of 20, sharing details of his health battle on the podcast The Moments That Made Me.

"I had high blood pressure, just like my father and grandfather, but I never took it seriously. So, it destroyed my kidneys, and I went into cardiac arrest," he shared.

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"It was one of the most defining moments of my life. I was dead for about four and a half minutes," he continued. "And when I had been revived, I had suffered a brain injury. I was in a wheelchair for almost two years and needed dialysis for eight years."

Verrett is reportedly in need of an urgent kidney transplant. The couple plan to reschedule the wedding once Verrett's health improves.

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Princess Märtha and Verrett have been together for three years, announcing their engagement in 2022.

"She said YES! When you know you know," Verrett shared on Instagram. "There is nothing better than having clarity as a man that the woman that stands in front of you is the one."

Princess Märtha, who is the only daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, recently announced she was stepping back from royal duties ahead of her marriage. She released a statement about the change via the Norwegian royal house.

"I have decided that at the present time I will no longer carry out official duties for the royal household," she stated, adding that the decision was made following a discussion with her parents with the intent of creating "peace around the royal household."

"The princess is patron of various organisations, and today she informed them that she is relinquishing her patronage role, which has provided the framework for her official duties," the palace said.

"The princess is taking this step to create a clearer dividing line between her business activities and her role as a member of the royal family. The organisations previously under her patronage will be offered the patronage of other members of the royal family."

King Harald V and Queen Sonja thanked their daughter "for the important work she has carried out in her official capacity for several decades".

"She has performed her duties with warmth, care and deep commitment," the statement said.

The couple has been the subject of criticism since their relationship became public. Verrett himself is a controversial figure, describing himself as a "sixth generation shaman" and "visionary" however some public criticism of him has been racially-based.

Martha Louise is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne – her brother, Crown Prince Haakon, will take the throne after their father – and will retain her title but has not been styled as "her royal highness" since 2002.

The princess also confirmed the news in a short video shared on Instagram.