Everything you need to know about the next royal wedding (2024)

This coming Saturday, Norway's first royal wedding in 23 years will take place.

Princess Märtha Louise and fiancé Shaman Durek Verrett will marry after announcing their engagement in 2022.

However, far from being a moment of celebration across the Scandinavian country, many view the nuptials with apprehension, seeing it as spectacle that'll have damaging repercussions on the royal family following a number of controversies.

READ MORE: Royal family to snub wedding photos after exclusive deals signed

At the weekend, Norwegian broadcaster NRK published a poll showing support for the royal family has fallen for the second time this year, with many citing the relationship between Princess Märtha and Verrett as being to blame.

The poll came as the royal family issued a statement confirming who will be attending the nuptials on Saturday.

Now, Sweden's royal household has also revealed which of its members will be there but the Danish palace is remaining tight-lipped about Queen Mary and King Frederik's attendance.

Here's what we know about the wedding so far.

The bride

Princess Märtha Louise, 52, is the daughter of Norway's King Harald V and Queen Sonja and her brother is Crown Prince Haakon, 51.

Although she is older than her brother, at the time of Märtha's birth in 1971 the line of succession favoured males. Her brother was born in 1973 instantly became heir after his father, who at the time was Norway's Crown Prince. When Harald succeeded the throne as King in 1991, Haakon was next in line.

Now, royal children born after 1990 are able to inherit the throne regardless of gender.

When it came time for the rule to change, Märtha was given the opportunity to have her say.

But she rejected the opportunity to be queen.

"I was totally happy growing up, I wasn't jealous at all," Märtha told Business Insider.

"But when I was 15, the Prime Minister at the time was a woman, and she suddenly came up with the idea that this was wrong. I remember she came home to us, with granddad [King Olav V], and we had a discussion about whether we should change the whole system and I should be queen.

"They said, 'What do you want, Märtha?' And I'm like, 'I'm 15, I don't know about these things,'" she said. The decision was made for Haakon to keep his place as heir.

"For me, I was like, 'Phew.' It is a lot of pressure, and it really is a life that you need to choose and be committed to 100 per cent. So I'm very happy that my brother is next in line, and he's doing an amazing job. He's focused on all the right things."

Princess Märtha is currently fourth in line to the throne, with Crown Prince Haakon and his two children Princess Ingrid, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18, above her.

READ MORE: The scandals threatening to damage Norwegian royal family's image

Märtha Louise has three daughters – Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora, and Emma Tallulah – from her first marriage to Ari Behn, which ended in 2016 after 14 years of marriage. Behn died in 2019, aged 47.

The groom

Durek Verrett comes from a very different background than his royal fiancée, who can can trace her ancestry back to Britain's Queen Victoria.

Born in America, Verrett is a a self-proclaimed sixth-generation shaman and bisexual. He's come under fire from health professionals after suggesting in his book, Spirit Hacking, that cancer was a choice.

He also sold a medallion on his website labelled a 'Spirit Optimiser, which he claims helped him overcome COVID-19.

Verrett counts Hollywood lifestyle guru and actress Gwyneth Paltrow as a friend and says he showed her Märtha Louise's emerald engagement ring before proposing.

Norway's Royal Household said Verrett would become a member of the royal family when he marries Märtha Louise, but would not have a title or represent the monarchy.

The couple will live in Norway and the US.

The controversies

Märtha Louise and Verrett's relationship has been at the centre of headlines for years, mainly because of their alternative lifestyle beliefs.

The princess, who claims to be able to speak with angels, has worked as a clairvoyant, written multiple books and has her own clothing line, Hést.

In November 2022, Märtha Louise confirmed she would no longer represent her father or the royal household.

The decision was made in consultation with her parents "to create peace around the royal household" and allow her to pursue other interests.

A poll that year found 17 per cent of Norwegians had a lower opinion of the royal family, nearly all citing the princess and the shaman as the reason.

READ MORE: Norwegian royal accused by two more women of violence

It followed widespread anger over the continued use of Märtha Louise's 'princess' title in in her business activities, despite an agreement between her and the palace being in place.

In 2019, she agreed to stop using her 'princess' title to promote her commercial endeavours following anger over a speaking tour she and Verrett conducted, marketed in Norway as 'The Princess and the Shaman'.

Since 2022, there have been growing calls for Märtha Louise to lose her 'princess' title altogether after breaking the agreement with the king and the royal household multiple times.

Most recently, in the lead up to the wedding, a specially-made gin produced by Oslo Handcraft Distillery for the nuptials referred to Märtha Louise as 'princess' both on its website and label.

The word 'princess' was later removed from the website and called a "mistake", with the next batch of bottles not featuring the royal title.

Norwegian historian and author Trond Norén Isaksen said it was the seventh breach of the agreement between the king and his daughter.

Isaksen has been critical of Märtha Louise's continued use of her princess title, which he says has damaged the king's reputation.

He points to a decline in support for the Norwegian monarchy as being connected to Märtha Louise's actions.

In 2017, support for the monarchy was at 81 per cent and in 2022 it was sitting at 78 per cent. In May this year, support fell to 73 per cent.

Now, a poll by Norstat shows overall support for the Norwegian royal family has dropped again, sitting at 68 per cent.

Published by NRK at the weekend, 19 per cent of responders want a republic, while 14 percent are undecided. The same poll revealed 36 per cent have taken a more negative view of the royal house over the past year, citing Princess Märtha Louise and Verrett and the Marius Borg Høiby case as the reasons.

'Racist attitudes'

Since his relationship with Märtha Louise was made public, Verrett has also faced racist attacks.

In 2022, the royal family – when announcing the changes to  Märtha Louise's role – condemned the racism directed online at Verrett.

"The racist attitudes Durek Verrett has been subjected to, especially on social media, we strongly oppose," they said.

"It is a strength that the royal family reflects the ethnic diversity that exists in Norway."

Although Princess Märtha Louise no longer represents the royal family on official engagements, she is still included at important family gatherings and at occasional events relating to patronages she was able to keep.

Her place in the line of succession also means there is significant interest in the wedding, both in Norway and abroad.

The wedding location

The wedding will be a three-day celebration beginning on Thursday August 29.

They will tie the knot inside the historic Hotel Union in Geiranger, one of Norway's most picturesque locations, on Saturday August 31.

On the Thursday, there will be pre-wedding party in the garden of Hotel 1904 in Alesund town with a dress code of a "sexy and cool".

On Friday, guests will join Märtha Louise and Verrett for a boat ride along the Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger village, followed by a Latin American-themed party at Hotel Union.

The religious ceremony will take place at a church on the grounds of the Hotel Union followed by a reception on the Saturday.

The guest list

The King and Queen of Norway – Märtha Louise's parents – will be at the wedding, along with her brother Crown Prince Haakon, his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their children Princess Ingrid and Prince Sverre Magnus.

In a statement over the weekend, the palace confirmed the King and Queen would not attend the pre-wedding party but would be at the ceremony, while the Crown Prince couple plan to be present from Thursday.

The royal family will stay on the Royal Yacht.

There will also be a number of senior royals from neighbouring countries in attendance.

Sweden's royal household has now confirmed Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel will be there, along with Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia.

But Princess Madeline and her husband Christopher O'Neill will not attend, despite both being close friends with the bride and groom.

Swedish magazine Svensk Dam suggested the reason behind Princess Madeleine's decision could be related to a deal signed by Princess Martha and Verrett to have their celebrations covered by Netflix and Hello!

"Both Madeleine and Chris dislike attention and exposure - which is impossible to avoid in a spectacle of this kind," the magazine said.

Sweden's King and Queen will not attend either.

According to Danish media, the Danish royal family will not send any official representatives to the wedding.

But as the wedding is a private event, Queen Mary and King Frederik may choose to be there in a private capacity.

Other minor royals are likely to be there, including Princess Alexia of Denmark and Greece.

Isaksen said Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Constantijn are expected as is Princess Irene of the Netherlands.

The King and Queen of neighbouring Sweden have a scheduled engagement on the wedding day.

"Norway is not exactly gripped by wedding fever," Isaksen, who has written seven books on the monarchy, said.

Responding to a comment from a follower about Princess Märtha acting "more like a celebrity than a royal", Isaksen said on Instagram: "It is indeed my impression that the foreign royal houses are not too keen on being part of this circus, as it has become commonly known".

According to an earlier report by VG, the royal households in both Sweden and Denmark – who have for centuries had close ties with Norway – have refused to comment on the wedding.

Hollywood royalty, however, may be there, including Paltrow who has holidayed with the couple in the past.

The guest list is being kept a closely guarded secret, as are many other details due to a financial agreement with a British magazine.

Magazine, documentary deals – and the royal snub

According to Hello!, the wedding "will be attended by a host of Norwegian and foreign royals".

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Märtha Louise and Verrett confirmed they had sold the rights to their three-day wedding to the publication.

That means the rest of the media will be banned from having access to cover the wedding.

Märtha Louise and Verrett have also reportedly signed a deal with a major streaming platform – believed to be Netflix – for an exclusive documentary.

A film crew has been spotted following Märtha Louise and Verrett with some of the team linked to past projects that have streamed on the platform.

In response, the communication manager at Norway's Royal Household, Guri Varpe, told local broadcaster NRK that the royal family would not allow themselves to be photographed by the two organisations that have signed exclusive rights with the couple because it denies other outlets fair access.

It's understood the bride will not be referred to as 'princess' in the coverage, due to the agreement made between her and the king.

In announcing the deal, Hello! described the bride as "Märtha Louise, daughter of the king and queen of Norway".

The decision by Märtha Louise and Verrett has caused anger amongst many local media in the Scandinavian country.

"I think it is deeply regrettable and a shame," general secretary Reidun Kjelling Nybø of the Norwegian Editors' Association said.

"Here, a central member of the Norwegian royal family is breaking what has been a long and good tradition."

News editor Christina Dorthellinger at NTB added: "It is historic if we do not have that access. We have been to all major public events and celebrations and anniversaries related to the Norwegian royal house ever since King Haakon arrived in Norway in November 1905."

After the ceremony, the rest of the press and the public will get a brief glimpse of the bride and groom when they come outside to meet locals.

At least one photograph of Märtha Louise and Verrett and the royal family will be shared with all media afterwards.

The rest of the event, including the guest list, program and all other details, will be kept secret.

Simon Eriksen Valvik, press officer for the wedding, defended the move.

"It is of course gratifying that so many people want to take part in the celebration," he said in a release.

"This great interest, however, places very high demands on capacity, security and logistics.

"We have therefore chosen to enter into an exclusive agreement on coverage of the wedding and party."

Isaksen said the decision by the royal family to avoid being photographed or filmed for the magazine and documentary was "a very wise decision".

Royal expert Ole-Jørgen Schulsrud-Hansen agreed, adding it was a good move "when there has been so much controversy surrounding the use of the princess title".

It is not know how much the couple has been paid for their photos.

The bride's outfit

According to Hello! Märtha Louise's gown is of an "exquisite design of which she has carefully kept under wraps".

The wedding party will include "seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen".

It's unlikely Märtha Louise will wear a tiara for this wedding, mainly due to her not representing the royal family any more.

For her first marriage, to Ari Behn, in 2002, Märtha Louise wore Queen Maud's pearl tiara.

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