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It sounds like wedding bells are in Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s future! The royal’s boyfriend Shaman Durek revealed to Vanity Fair that he has already asked Märtha’s parents King Harald V and Queen Sonja for their blessing. According to the magazine, the spiritual guru asked the monarchs over Christmas last year, before the tragic death of Märtha’s ex-husband Ari Behn . Durek, who designed a ring for the mom of three, had intended to propose to the Princess, 49, in Hawaii during President’s Day weekend, however his plans changed after Ari’s suicide.
“They were saying that it was my fault and Durek’s fault—that if it hadn’t been for Durek, this wouldn’t have happened,” Märtha said of her ex-husband’s passing. “I was so lucky to have the support of Durek and my family and my friends all around us, but it’s a void,” she added. “Suddenly I was a single parent, which is a very different horse, and of course the grief, the anger, the self-pity, the sadness over never seeing him again…it’s devastating.”
Rather than a celebration, the couple’s trip to Hawaii in February became a time for mourning and healing, according to Vanity Fair. Durek has postponed his proposal to Märtha multiple times. Per the news outlet, “he had planned to do it at Disneyland, and then Lake Tahoe, but he says the spirits kept telling the princess of his plans, spoiling the surprise.”
The Princess confirmed her relationship with the “gifted healer” in May of 2019. While Durek has the King and Queen of Norway’s blessing to marry their daughter, the monarchs were reportedly slow to warm up to him. “My dad has always said from when I was little that you have to be true to who you are—otherwise, people will see straight through you—and I think maybe he’s regretted saying that a few times,” Märtha shared. “Before Durek, my mom had been worried because it had been three years and I hadn’t had a boyfriend. When I told her that I did and she asked who it was—I don’t know if I can say that much about it, to be honest. It’s very conflicting. Here in America, you’re more open to it. In Norway, it’s very, very, extremely controversial. I should be with a CEO or a lord or someone of a high rank of some sort. To be with a shaman, that’s very, extremely, terribly out of the box. It’s crazy.”
After their Vanity Fair interview was published, Märtha released a statement on her personal Instagram account writing, “This has been a long wait. We did this interview for Vanity Fair the summer of 2019. Well, the first one, I mean. We have, to be honest, had many. Because as the story delayed, there were new themes coming in constantly. And so the piece has evolved over time. With us. The main and first interview was done pre COVID-19, pre physical distancing, pre our loooong 6 months apart, pre my anti-racism awakening(I am always learning and continuing to grow into that role); and the world was a totally different place. And so were we. Some times it takes these moments to acknowledge the growth and steps taken. We have evolved. There are things I say in this article that I would never say today.”
The Princess continued, “Things that make me cringe from the perspective I see the world anno November 2020. But yet, it is important to honor who I was then. It is important to honor who I am today, and that we all do our best in the precise moment we are in. Being on the path makes us appreciate life. Being on the path with you @shamandurek makes life full of adventures and intense colors. Evolving, moves us into new dimensions. I am glad I have chosen you to evolve with. It’s more fun that way. ❤️.”