In Norway, people wonder about the king's daughter and her fiancé. Princess Märtha Louise sees herself as a clairvoyant who can talk to angels and would like to marry an alleged miracle worker.
A princess who communicates with angels, plus a miracle healer who sells medallions against corona diseases: The unusual love story between the eldest daughter of the Norwegian royal couple, Märtha Louise, and Hollywood guru Durek Verrett inspires the tabloid media, but not the country's citizens . 17 percent of those who took part in a survey last month said the royal family had lost their reputation - and almost all cited the headlines about 51-year-old Martha Louise and her 47-year-old fiancé Verrett as the reason.
The romance doesn't go down well in Norway because the "sixth-generation shaman" African-American claimed in his book Spirit Hacking that people make their own decisions about getting cancer. And because he offers a medallion called "Spirit Optimizer" for $ 222 on his website, which is said to have cured him of Covid-19. "He's an imposter, a charlatan and a quack," says columnist and humorist Dagfinn Nordbo of Verrett, whose supporters include Gwyneth Paltrow and Antonio Banderas.
The mood in the country fits in with the current debate about the role of monarchies in Europe, some of which are expensive. Several royal families have already announced consequences: Denmark's Queen Margrethe II wants to downsize her household and is therefore removing the titles of prince or princess from some of her grandchildren. Sweden's royal family is also saving and Great Britain's King Charles III. is reportedly considering the same.
The Norwegian monarchy has so far enjoyed broad popular support. This is mainly due to the down-to-earth nature of the royal couple: The 85-year-old King Harald, who is himself married to a commoner, is known for always supporting social developments in his progressive country. He gave his daughter his engagement blessing. Otherwise, he says little about her partner.
One of the few supporting the couple is Oslo's former mayor Fabian Stang: "Selling healing medallions is going too far, but it's strange that so many of those who hate Durek didn't mind the Snasa man." , Stang wrote on Facebook, alluding to a Norwegian faith healer who died last year.
Verrett says he understands that his beliefs may worry some people. At the same time, he sees himself as a victim of racism - similar to the African American Meghan Markle after her marriage to Prince Harry. He received hate mail and death threats because white people "don't want to see black people in the royal family," he said in an Instagram video after his engagement in June. Märtha Louise was "shocked" by how Verrett and "people of dark skin are treated".
Märtha Louise is fourth in line to the throne after her younger brother, Crown Prince Haakon, and his two children. It's not the first time she's caused controversy. A follower of alternative therapies, she claims to be able to speak with angels, a gift that she markets with books and courses. She gave up the title "Her Royal Highness" 20 years ago when she retired from royal duties to become a psychic. And three years ago, she agreed not to use her princess title for any commercial purpose.
This time, however, the eccentricities of the princess and her fiancé seem to have gone too far for the citizens. "Most Norwegians hate it when you make money with a princess' seal of approval doing things they think are nonsense," says historian Trond Noren Isaksen. "The royal family should be a unifying force - beyond controversy," he adds. The problem is that Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett are exactly the opposite: controversial and polarizing. "Something must be done."
More than half of Norwegians now want the 51-year-old to give up her title of princess altogether. According to the celebrity media, the "crisis meeting" between King Harald with his daughter and Crown Prince Haakon was about exactly this question.
