King Harald of Norway has spoken to media following the release of his daughter, Princess Märtha Louise’s controversial Netflix documentary Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story. The 100-minute-long show shows behind-the-scenes footage of her wedding to American shaman, Durek Verrett.
The show even prompted a response from the Norwegian palace about her commercial activities since stepping back from royal duties in 2022. The statement read, in part: “The Royal House wants a clearer distinction between the activities of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett and the Royal House. This will be the topic of the conversations we will have in the future.”
The King, 88, has since commented on the documentary, answering questions from media. According to Se of Hør, He said: “We have to live on, so we will try to do something about this, through talks. We will continue the talks with them. I think they are more in line with us than it seems.”
The King did not, however, comment on the contents of the Netflix documentary, including the claim the couple met in a past life in Egypt.
Princess Märtha Louise’s family, including her parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, and her brother, Crown Prince Haakon and his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, attended her wedding in Geiranger last August.
Crown Prince Haakon, 52, has also spoken about the documentary, and said: “I think I should refrain from judging it, but unfortunately I do not think that there is a good enough distinction between the activities of the Royal House and the project and the commercial side of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett’s activities.”
In 2022, the Norwegian palace announced Märtha Louise would “relinquish her patronage role” as she and Mr Verrett sought to “distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway” and to “prevent misunderstandings regarding the Royal House”.
Similar to Prince Harry, the Princess stepped down as a senior working royal in 2022, making an agreement with her family that she and Verrett would separate any commercial activities from the royal house.
However, after the release of the Netflix documentary, that agreement has come into question.
On August 31, 2024, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway married Durek Verrett. The couple married in a private ceremony at a hotel in Geiranger, Western Norway.
Since then, the pair have been criticised by the palace and members of Norway’s Parliament for linking commercial activities to the princess’s royal status.