Engagement of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett: June 7, 2022

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Prinsara

Given the announcement of the engagement in all official channels and the "most heartfelt congratulations" from the Palace, I think we are supposed to assume Harald has consented, rather than that Märtha Louise and her daughters will be leaving the line of succession and that's just going to be announced later. But who knows?

It is strange there is no mention anywhere of "His Majesty's consent", though.

I think if she would leave the line of succession it would be her but not her daughters as the from a marriage which had the King's consent.

[Prinsara]

This has been asked and answered before. If ML is removed because of this, according to the Constitution, her daughters are too. https://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...ml#post2450121

And as far as Instagram goes, Maud Angelica put up a story saying "OMG CONGRATS" (literally) to her mother and Durek. Which suggests she's either a bit surprised, or not concerned by anything, or both.

Nothing from Leah (yet).

[Alisa]

Durek worries me. But what do I know.

They are definitely eccentric alike and hey as was mentioned life is too short. I wish them the best of luck and many years of joy and happiness.

[principessa]

I have concerns about this engagement. For me Durek is a dangerous person and have fears that his influence on his stepdaughters will be more than negative.

[Prinsara]

I think many of us have deep concerns about this, including me, but I also have half a notion engagement threads are meant to be positive or at least neutral. We do have a whole thread where we've aired the rest of it for the past few years.

[CyrilVladisla]

In which church will Princess Martha Louise and Durek marry?

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by CyrilVladisla

In which church will Princess Martha Louise and Durek marry?

Will they even marry in a church? Based on what they have said about their beliefs, I don't think these are in line with the teachings of the Lutheran church. However, they have attended church services in the past, so they are not hostile to it either.

[Moonmaiden23]

They strike me as a barefoot on the beach reciting personal wedding vows to coincide with lunar phases type of couple.


I'd be VERY surprised if they opted for a church wedding.

[Curryong]

The article below contains an interview with Durek in which he claims to be both a fifth generation Shaman and to have been brought up as a Seventh Day Adventist. Somehow though I can’t see him marrying in a SDA ceremony.

https://www.fulcrum7.com/blog/2019/6...-to-raised-sda

[Lady Daly]

Durek has made so many claims, who really knows where the truth "lies" with him.

Greetings from the King and Queen sending their heartfelt congratulations isn't the same as the King officially giving his consent to the marriage or is it?

Good for Martha Louise, if marrying Durek brings her some peace and happiness then Congratulations!

[maria-olivia]

Durek went to the Church in Norway with the Royal Family and the same day ....

[Biri]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

Durek went to the Church in Norway with the Royal Family and the same day ....

Andthe same day what happened?

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Stefan

I think if she would leave the line of succession it would be her but not her daughters as the from a marriage which had the King's consent.

As Prinsara said, Article 36 (reference the first page of this thread for the English translation) of the Constitution refers to the person's descendants also forfeiting their right to the throne. (In the original Norwegian, the wording is "he or she", denoting the person, not the couple.)

"Handler han eller hun i strid med dette, taper vedkommende så vel som etterkommerne retten til Norges trone."

However, I suppose if the occasion ever arose, the government might create a justification out of the supposed intent of the legislature being to remove only the children of the unapproved marriage.

Originally Posted by Prinsara

I think many of us have deep concerns about this, including me, but I also have half a notion engagement threads are meant to be positive or at least neutral. We do have a whole thread where we've aired the rest of it for the past few years.

From reading past engagement threads, I haven't received that impression.
For some royal couples (Mako and Kei Komuro are another example), the public's concerns or negativity about the relationship constitute part of the story of their relationship and marriage. In this case, the Norwegian public's perspective on Durek created the couple's plans to relocate their married life overseas, and may be the reason why the engagement was announced in an unconventional manner with minimal involvement from the palace.

Originally Posted by Biri

Andthe same day what happened?

Ari Behn died (Christmas day 2019).

Originally Posted by Prinsara

And as far as Instagram goes, Maud Angelica put up a story saying "OMG CONGRATS" (literally) to her mother and Durek. Which suggests she's either a bit surprised, or not concerned by anything, or both.

Interesting. It does sound very positive, and as he is/will be her stepfather I hope it is.

Originally Posted by Heavs

Well Martha herself doesn't carry out any royal duties and doesn't have an HRH anymore, so there was never any chance of that.

She retains a handful of patronages and carries out occasional royal duties. In 2021 she carried out two solo engagements and was present at four official receptions, according to the official program.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

As Prinsara said, Article 36 (reference the first page of this thread for the English translation) of the Constitution refers to the person's descendants also forfeiting their right to the throne. (In the original Norwegian, the wording is "he or she", denoting the person, not the couple.)

"Handler han eller hun i strid med dette, taper vedkommende så vel som etterkommerne retten til Norges trone."

"Descendants" here may be interpreted as any descendant in general or simply the descendants from the unconsented marriage. The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 in the Uk sought to remove that ambiguity by explicitly saying "the person's descendants from the marriage".

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

Arnhild Aass Kristiansen of NTB news agency inquired about a possible title for Durek Verrett. The response from the director of palace communications, Guri Varpe:

"It is His Majesty the King who according to tradition determines if someone receives a title. The princess's former spouse, the late Ari Behn, had no title, nor do their children."

The meaning seems clear, but I wonder why she did not phrase it more directly.

The spokeswoman also pointed NTB to Article 34 of the Constitution, which states:

Article 34
The King shall make provisions concerning titles for those who are entitled to succeed to the Crown.

https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/l...r-forlovet-seg

The palace specifically bringing up Article 34 in reference to Durek Verrett seemingly points to Princess Märtha Louise remaining "entitled to succeed to the Crown" after marrying him, which requires the King granting his consent to the marriage in accordance with Article 36.

The article states that the couple are presently in Los Angeles and will continue to divide their time between continents for the time being, and it quotes from their press release (is there a full transcript?):

– Kjærlighet dømmer ikke hvor man kommer fra eller hvem man er som mennesker. Kjærlighet skaper bro mellom mennesker, kulturer og religioner. Og vi er glade for å ha funnet hverandre, på tvers av kontinenter, etnisitet og sosial bakgrunn.

– Ha tålmodighet med oss. Vi kommer til å meddele alt når tiden er inne, men til da vil vi fortsette å feire kjærligheten. Maud, Leah og Emma gleder seg på våre vegne, og det er en spennende tid for hele familien. Vi ber likevel om forståelse for at barna i denne perioden fremover får nyte sommeren i fred og ro.

"Love judges not where you come from or who you are as people. Love forms bridges between persons, cultures, and religions. And we are delighted to have found one another, crossing continents, ethnicity, and social background."

Regarding a wedding date:
"Be patient with us. We will tell everything when the time is ripe, but until then, we will keep on celebrating love. Maud, Leah and Emma are happy for us, and this is an exciting time for the entire family. But we request your understanding in the time ahead to allow the children to spend a pleasant summer in peace and quiet."

[maria-olivia]

I imagine after their Wedding a State Visit in Norway with the Shaman wearing the Norway National Orders !

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

I imagine after their Wedding a State Visit in Norway with the Shaman wearing the Norway National Orders !

Ari Behn never received a Norwegian order (the only one he got was a Dutch order), so little to no chance Durek will receive any Norwegian order and I don't expect him to attend state visits either - again, Ari only did so for the Dutch state visit as the families are close friends.

It's no surprise that one of the few official recent activities for Märtha Louise was another Dutch state visit...

[4Pam]

I'm happy for the couple but he seems very sketchy.

[Stefanie]

Does he have a problem with his kidney?
Besides: I think they will marry civilly in California by surprise only the couple and the daughters.
Was he ever married? Does he have children?

[iceflower]

He does have a kidney problem, yes, and he was married before (2005-2009), you can find lots of information at this thread