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Hours after the Norwegian Royal House announced that Princess Märtha Louise of Norway will be relinquishing official duties, King Harald V and Queen Sonja’s daughter released a joint video message with her fiancé Shaman Durek Verrett . The 51-year-old royal shared the video on her official Princess Märtha Louise Instagram account, writing: “We are using this platform because we are defining the separation between me as a Princess of Norway and as a business woman.”
Märtha Louise emphasized in her message that there “has been no discord within the royal family through this process. We have embraced each other’s opinions and views in an amicable fashion with respect and love for one another.”
“I will continue the separation between my Princess title and my role as a businesswoman where I only use Märtha Louise on social media, media productions and such, and Durek is following suit,” she said in the video.
The Princess’ fiancé, who won’t receive a title after they marry, also spoke in the video about supporting Märtha Louise and respecting the royal family’s constitutional role. “I’ve always wanted to support my fiancée Märtha Louise and I want her to be happy. If her life has become difficult because of some of the things that I have done, then that was never my intention. The same goes for her parents, the King and Queen,” Durek said. “I want them to be successful in the important roles that they have. I have through the conversations with the family learned a lot. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the work of the royal family in Norway and I respect their constitutional role.”
“I know that some of the things I have said and done have been seen as controversial in Norway. Some have even argued that this has become a problem for the monarchy. I want to make it clear that this was never my intention. I wish Märtha’s family well and I want to do my part to support them in their roles,” the royal’s future husband continued. “At the same time it is important for me to maintain my own integrity and to be true to myself. I like everyone else have a right to autonomy, to determine what I believe in, and to speak up about it. I hope what Märtha and I and the royal family have agreed on will create the space necessary for this balance to work and to be more robust.”
Durek also clarified, “I am for the school of medicine and always have been because I have seen several occasions in my life where I have been saved by the school of medicine and I have great respect for the institution and for the people working in the healthcare system. I honor and respect them for what they do. However, I do believe that we should always use all available resources for health on our planet. Not instead of, but in addition to the healthcare system.”
Märtha Louise concluded the video message expressing her hope that “these steps will lead to a calmer and more peaceful environment regarding” her fiancé and herself. The Royal House noted on Tuesday 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 added. “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.”