Guests have been pictured at the wedding of Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Shaman Durek Verrett – but the bride avoided cameras, hiding behind sheets as she made her way to the aisle.
It comes after the couple allegedly banned phones from their wedding – and invited a top director who has worked with Netflix to cover their nuptials. It is thought that this alleged ban is linked to the exclusivity agreements the couple has with Hello Magazine and Netflix.
The publication claims that on Tuesday, a message was sent out to their invitees asking them not to share anything on their social media profiles.
‘Please remember that mobile phones or cameras are not allowed at any of the events throughout the weekend. In addition, we ask that you do not post anything on social media,’ it states, according to an email that the website obtained.
The couple’s big day follows months of anticipation – and several days of pre-wedding festivities, which kicked off on Thursday. Members of the Norwegian family attended the event, including King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Guests were concealed behind walls of sheets as they left their hotel and got into cars taking them to the wedding tent
A makeshift white tent is set up outside the marquee before the wedding, so the bride could hide from cameras
Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn, daughters of Norway’s Princess Martha Louise, wait outside the marquee
Also at the event were Sweden’s Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria, along with Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia.
Those not in attendance included Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark, who confirmed ahead of the event that they would not be coming. Also absent was Marius Borg Høiby, stepson of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, who has been at the centre of a major controversy after issuing a grovelling apology earlier this month, for attacking his ‘girlfriend’ Rebecca Helberg Arntsen.
Princess Martha Louise, 52, and her fiance Durek Verrett, 49, who announced their engagement in 2022, revealed they would tie the knot in a ceremony in Geiranger – a town at the head of the Geirangerfjord, that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Princess Martha Louise took to Instagram last year to discuss the wedding location.
She wrote: ‘We are incredibly happy to be able to celebrate our love in Geiranger’s beautiful surroundings. It means a lot to us to gather our loved ones in a place so rich in history and intense nature experiences. Geiranger is the perfect place to embrace our love.’
The ceremony was organised at Hotel Union in Geiranger village, a four-star hotel that has a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, its own nightclub and even a vintage car museum.
Well-wishers lined the streets ahead of the couple’s arrival.
However, while many wished the couple well, some Norwegians are not fans of the union.
Halibut fisherman Roger Mør, 60 told MailOnline: ‘I’m not happy about the marriage of Princess Martha Louise to his American man, Durek.
‘I think he is exploiting her and the royal family.’
Sweden’s Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria, along with Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, arrive at the wedding
Carpenter Torkil Wullf, 34, said: ‘Princess Martha Louise also a fantasist.
‘It is well-known that she claims to be able to talk to angels. I think is just as crazy as her shaman Durek.
‘Most Norwegian people think this is whole marriage is a disgrace.
‘The rest of the royal family are much more thoughtful about their actions.’
Meanwhile, handyman Jon Juliebør, 46, wished the unlikely couple well.
Shortly after buying fresh fish at the Ålesund quayside, he told MailOnline: ‘I think it’s good from them.
‘Princess Martha Louise has always been eccentric.
‘She is the oldest child of King Harald but she was never going to become the monarch because she was a girl.
‘Her brother, Prince Haakon, will become king, even though he is younger than her, so I think that has affected her.’
Café waitress Øyvar Melsaeter, 18, saw the positives in the couple’s marriage.
She claimed the wedding party – which had taken sight-seeing tour along the Geirangerfjord from Ålesund – had put this remote coastal town on the map.
She said: ‘I think it’s great that the princess came to Ålesund and is getting married in Geirganer village.
‘The wedding has really put us on the map.
‘I don’t know too much about her shaman Durek, but I hope they will be happy together.
‘It’s all very exciting for people who live around here.’
The three-day celebrations started on Thursday, when the couple hosted a drinks reception at Hotel 1904 in Alesund.
On Friday, guests were taken aboard a boat to travel to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Geiranger Fjord.
Shaman Durek announced in June that Parish Priest Margit Lovise Holte would be officiating their marriage.
Reverend Michael Beckwith, who has appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul podcast, was also reportedly involved in the nuptials.
Norwegian fisherman Roger Mor (pictured) said he is ‘not happy’ about the marriage between Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett
Handyman Jon Juliebor (pictured) said the princess has ‘always been eccentric’ and he wishes the couple well
Café waitress Øyvar Melsaeter (pictured) said the wedding had put the area on the map – which she said was exciting for locals
Martha, who describes herself as ‘spiritual’ and claims to be a clairvoyant, got into a relationship with Durek after overcoming the loss of her first husband, Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019.
But things have not been easy for Martha, as she was forced to leave her role as a working member of the royal family because of her fiancé’s controversial views.
Durek stated that he believed that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness in a book he wrote.
He published ‘Spirit Hacking’ in 2019 in the US, but publishers banned it in Norway over the unsubstantial claims.
After reading a translation of the book from its original English, the publishing house said at the time they were shocked by a number of unproven statements made by Durek in the book.
