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While Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is relinquishing her official duties, she will retain her title. “In accordance with The King’s wishes, the Princess will keep her title,” the Norwegian Royal House said on Nov. 8. The confirmation follows reports that King Harald V was considering removing his 51-year-old daughter’s Princess title.
In 2019, it was decided that Märtha Louise would no longer use her title of Princess in her business activities. The Royal House announced on Nov. 8, 2022 that “this principle will now apply” to the Princess’ fiancé, Shaman Durek Verrett.
The pair “will not indicate an association with the Royal House of Norway in their social media channels (with the exception of @PrincessMarthaLouise on Instagram), in media productions or in connection with other commercial activities,” the Royal House said. “In practice this means that the Princess and Durek Verrett will avoid mention of this association in activities such as social media tagging, the use of the Princess title or the use of pictures of, or references to, other members of the Royal House in channels where commercial activity also takes place. This includes interviews primarily intended to draw attention to commercial activity.”
The Royal House noted that “this is intended to draw a dividing line that more clearly separates commercial activity from the Royal House of Norway. The objective is both to prevent misunderstandings regarding the Royal House and to allow the Princess and Durek Verrett greater freedom in their business activities and other parts of their lives.”
Princess Märtha Louise’s future husband will not have a title or represent the Royal House of Norway when they marry, but will become a part of the royal family. According to the Royal House, the couple “will attend important family-related gatherings, such as birthday celebrations, as well as certain major sporting events that the Royal Family traditionally attends together.”
The Royal House added that they want Durek to “feel welcome in our family.” “The situation we as a family have found ourselves in recently, however, has raised problems that are complex and that involve many different views we are trying to accommodate,” the Royal House explained. “For us it is crucial to maintain our relationship of trust with the Norwegian people while at the same time safeguarding the well-being of our family to the best of our ability. The constraints on what we may say or do while representing the Royal House have been questioned and challenged. That is why we have seen a need to further clarify roles and the use of the Princess title.”
“We are also committed to the ideal of all people living together in harmony despite their differences. We deplore the racist attitudes that Durek Verrett has had to contend with, especially on social media. We consider it a strength that the Royal House reflects Norway’s ethnic diversity,” the Royal House continued. “For those who have never experienced such discrimination, it can be hard to imagine how racism – whether direct or indirect, conscious or unconscious – is perceived by those it strikes. Unfortunately there are many people in Norway today who are subjected to discrimination and racism. We must work together as a society to put an end to intolerance.”