Norway's Princess Martha Louise marries American spiritual guru

OSLO:

Norway's Princess Martha Louise married her long-term partner, American spiritual guru Durek Verrett, on Saturday in a ceremony attended by the Norwegian king and other royalty but marked by what critics saw as commercialisation of the event.

The wedding was the culmination of three days of festivities to honour Martha Louise, 52, fourth in line to the throne, and Verrett, 49, a self-styled shaman from California, after the couple first announced their relationship in 2019.

The couple were joined in the picturesque western town of Geiranger by royals from Sweden and Norway as well as friends, social media influencers and Norwegian celebrities.

Martha Louise, the daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja, stepped down from official royal duties in 2022 to allow her to more freely pursue her own business ventures, and said both she and Verrett would refrain from using her title as princess in a commercial setting.

But the couple has faced criticism from the Palace and members of parliament for linking commercial activities to Martha Louise's royal status.

At a media event staged by a liquor company in June, the couple introduced a special pink gin for the wedding, with the label bearing the names of Martha Louise and Verrett on the back of the bottle, and a pink monogram invented for the occasion.

Norwegian health authorities ruled this week that the marketing of the drink was inappropriate.