Norwegian princess quits royal duties for US shaman

A NORWEGIAN princess has renounced her royal duties to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiancé, a self-proclaimed shaman who sells healing medallions and claimed cancer was a choice.

Princess Martha Louise, the daughter of Norway’s 85-year-old King Harald, and her American boyfriend Durek Verrett have been accused by the Norwegian press of using her royal title for commercial gain.

Princess Martha, who has claimed in the past that she is able to commune with angels, announced that she will no longer officially represent the royal house following “many questions relating to me and my fiancé’s role”.

“I have decided that at the present time I will no longer carry out official duties for the royal household,” she said in a statement issued by the palace.

She said the decision had been made in coordination with the king and queen “to create peace around the royal household”.

The princess’s relationship with Mr Verrett caused controversy in Norway after he suggested in his book Spirit Hacking that cancer was a choice. He also sells medallions on his website called “Spirit Optimisers”, which he claims helped him overcome Covid.

Several charities had already dropped the princess as a patron because of her fiancé’s activities.

She lost her honorific “Her Royal Highness” title in 2002 when she chose to work as a clairvoyant.

Mr Durek’s commercial activities revolve around selling a variety of New Age products, including his Spirit Optimisers – green, turquoise and pink medallions that cost $222 (£193) each.

Trond Noren Isaksen, a historian, said: “Most Norwegians despise the fact that you can make money off what they consider to be nonsense that comes with the stamp of approval from a princess.”