Several years ago, Norway’s Princess Martha Louise fell in love with an American shaman. If you sold their story as a plot of a Lifetime movie, people would not buy it, but it really happened. Earlier this year, Martha Louise and Shaman Durek got engaged. The reaction from the Norwegian royal family was pretty muted. Now, at this point, Martha Louise is basically only part of the royal family in name only, and they already banned her from using her royal title and royal status to sell shaman stuff, like their speaking tours. Shaman Durek has also gone on record about how he believes that no one wants to see “a Black man in the royal family.” Racism, a celebrity shaman, and disputes about royal status. It’s a lot. Well, now Martha Louise’s brother Crown Prince Haakon has gone on the record about all of this.
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is speaking out on a “difficult” topic. During an outing, the heir to Norway’s throne was asked about the reports saying that discussions are going on about whether or not his sister, Princess Märtha Louise, will keep her royal title.
“This is a topic that I find difficult,” Crown Prince Haakon said, according to Royal Central. Prince Haakon said, “On the one hand, my sister got engaged, and I got to know Durek Verrett and think it is nice to be with him. I have been with him on many occasions. I would like him to feel welcome in our family.”
“At the same time, I feel very responsible for the institution,” the 49-year-old son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja continued, according to the outlet. “We have, of course, noticed that some of what has been said and done has caused quite a bit of discussion. Some of it has also been controversial. We have to talk about figuring this out, and that is what we are trying to do now that we now have this process where we are trying to find a good way forward.”
“At the same time that brings us the feelings and thoughts about the different aspects. So this is going to take some more time. It is natural that if something happens that people think something about, that it creates debate. I think that is part of the living democracy that Norway is a part of,” Crown Prince Haakon said.
King Harald previously talked about the “cultural collision” with his daughter’s American partner.
“I do not think it has fully sunk in yet what we mean, but we are in a process and this will eventually work itself out,” the monarch said earlier this year, according to Royal Central. “We get to know each other better and better, and we will talk to him, as we do in a family. So, it is going to work out. But I don’t promise that it will be resolved tomorrow. It is the culture collision we are now noticing.”
I mean… I actually get what Haakon is trying to say, however awkwardly. It’s a lot – a Norwegian princess engaged to a Black man who is also a celebrity shaman, and Martha Louise is in business with Durek too. But I also think the family has already set it up so that Martha Louise is free to do whatever she wants – they already took away her royal styling and she’s not allowed to use “Princess” for any of her business ventures. Will they eventually formalize it and “take back” her princess title? Probably. Also: she lives in LA full-time now. So she’s already got her whole life away from the family. Still, it looks bad and the family is trying desperately to thread the needle of “we’re taking away your title because of the shady shaman stuff, not because you’re marrying a Black man!”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Martha Louise’s Instagram.
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- The Royal Family attends Prince Sverre Magnus Confirmation in Asker church. Oslo 2020-09-05. In the picture: Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra.,Image: 563184769, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: UK, USA and AUS ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Marius Gulliksrud / Stella Pictures / Avalon
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- Oslo Norway 2020-08-26 Crown Prince Haakon walks part of the Refugee Trail between Oslo and Sweden 26-28 August to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation, pictures from the start in Oslo Photo: Marius Gulliksrud COPYRIGHT STELLA PICTURES,Image: 563291598, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: UK, USA and AUS ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Marius Gulliksrud / Stella Pictures / Avalon
I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt about the shady shaman.
I’ve been following this discussion for years, even long before Märtha met her current partner. She started using her princess title in different business ventures linked with different alternative treatments, spirituality etc. many years ago using her princess title, so she already had a negative reputation in this sense as many of her ideas caused controversy. She even did business with her then-husband’s mother who’s also into that kind of stuff. All this damaged the reputation of the royal family, and finally she had to agree not to benefit from her title. I believe this issue goes much deeper than questioning her choice of partner as such. I don’t think it’s about racism, I think it’s more about her being linked with her partner’s business, the nature of which many find controversial and shady, and at least in Europe not many people had heard of this shaman until these two got involved. So at least in my neck of woods he’s received lots of publicity through her, and she doesn’t seem to have anything against it. I think that’s the main problem in many people’s eyes. I understand this is difficult for her family, and Haakon handled it well. I personally don’t think the Norwegians would care even if she married a Martian. Not as long as the Martian in question wouldn’t be a controversial figure.
American here: We’d never heard of this guy before Celebitchy covered this relationship either.
I’m a bit of a hippie (still, very pro-science, but I feel that if a bit of woo does your spirit good, do the bit of woo), and I *still* had no idea who he was. I think that couples can manage business partnerships together successfully, but it’s so rare. They seem to care for each other, but they’re in a professional space filled with snake oil and chicanery; it’s going to be really hard for them to establish an air of legitimacy in that context, and that would strain any relationship.
I had heard of him but that’s because I’m in the woo community in LA. I met him in 2012 at a benefit for his health problems. I donated my services for the event. I guess he got better.
While I think that they seem to care for each other both are shady grifters. As you say she’s been grifting off her title for years – I think his con man vibe was the final nail in the coffin so to speak. Wasn’t he as one point claiming to have a cure for cancer?!
Ah, I didn’t know that he was that style of “healer.” That really sucks. I read further down thread that he thinks that we cause our own cancers with stress or bad vibes or whatever, so yeah…he’s a snake oil salesman and apparently so is she.
That may not heave a bearing on whether or not these two people love each other, but it does makes sense that *any* family would want to limit affiliation with them, especially a family with a large, somewhat influential platform that would be implicitly condoning this grift if they didn’t openly say otherwise.
Not to bring everything back to H&M, but this is not a similar situation to Harry and Megan or any of the other European royals. In fact, it seems like the poor opposite of Harry and Meg. If this is what the British royal family had been worried about, I would have agreed with them, but in light of all of this, how can *anyone* look at Archewell, Archetypes, Invictus, the World Kitchen, or anything else they do and see a con or a sham. If anything, Megan has helped Harry reach greater legitimacy and integrity than he was going to get trying to go it alone or with another aristo in the royal system.
^^ There are environmental factors involved in illness. And for sure, what we eat and how we think can lead to illness, or to good health. It depends. As well, there are shady characters who capitalize on selling ‘woo-woo’ practices and beliefs. Just as there exists helpful, genuine, above-board alternative medicine practitioners. The thing to do is, conduct your own research and exercise common sense.
I have nothing to add regarding yet another royal family ‘title-taking’ drama! So over it. So be it. Blah!
To be fair, it is not the fact that he is black, or even that he is a shaman, it is because he is an idiot and the ridiculous things he keep saying about medicine, like his book that claimed that people got cancer because they didn’t want to live anymore. He is an i
She also doesn’t live in LA, she has three kids that are still in school in Norway. I think they planned to move, but postponed it.
I think there’s a fundamental problem across the entire world’s royal families, and that’s that monarchy is a completely anachronistic institution in the 21st century. By its very nature, it’s impossible to modernise and incomparable with key features of 21st century life like interracial relationships, any type of relationship that isn’t heteronormative, any religion that isn’t the ‘home’ one, living a sustainable and climate conscious life, even pursuing a normal career. And when the royals get called on these problems, they really can’t defend their actions without looking ridiculous and snobbish, at the very least.
And the problem of living a normal family life without the toxicity towards those who are the “spares” in the family and the arrogance of the “chosen ones”.
Well said, Jane!
It’s not the monarchy in itself, but the people within the monarchy who might have a problem with interracial couples. So far we’ve seen nothing that suggests the norwegian RF are racists. In contrast to the british RF, they are not living in an aristo bubble. They don’t have a lot of castles, the children attend public schools. Although the monarchy itself is an ancient tradition, the king and especially the queen have done a lot to modernise the court from the victorian ways it was done when they took over. They are more aware and concious of what’s going on in the country. They don’t usually take expencive helicopter rides and fly private planes like the british. They try to live a more “normal” day to day life.
This is not about the colour of Durek’s skin, it’s about all the horrible BS he’s spouted. You do NOT mess with cancer and womens vaginas in Norway.
If I’m correct, the Norwegian monarchy is only about 100 years old. Norway was a part of either Denmark or Sweden, I don’t remember which, until the 20th century, and they invited a Danish (but german by ethnicity) prince to be their king. So it’s not about ancient traditions there. The fact that he’s a black grifter makes things complicated for them, especially after Harry and Meghan. But lets not forget that his sister is also a grifter.
It might be smart of them to leave things status quo. So long as Grifter Sister isn’t getting money, who cares if she calls herself Princess or not? Why give the swindlers a reason to sound like victims?
You either have royal “special” blood or not. What have actions got to do with it when something is a title you were born with? Funny how royals losing (or threatened with losing) their titles are the ones who are making their own way and not the ones living off the public. Is it not considered shady business to live off other people and avoid taxes and be kept in big style by others?
Right?! And also, how come they don’t then strip the titles of the other people who will eventually be in the position of the current person being stripped? So, for the BRF, if they want to strip anything from Harry (HRH), they also need to strip titles/HRH from the rest of Chuck’s siblings and also Charlotte and Louis (not to mention racists like Princess Michael – wasn’t she using HRH on her books?). In Denmark, they need to also strip the titles from all of the “spare” children of Fred and Mary (sorry, I don’t know all the kids’ names). And they should especially do it now, while C and L and the Danish kids are kids.
It’s the inconsistency for me. Either take all the titles away from anyone other than the direct heir, or don’t do it at all. It’s either NBD when some people earn their own money using HRH or it’s a problem. They can’t have it both ways.
I think part of the challenge, too, is that royals have shown that they are okay with certain money making ventures (pay to play, offshore accounts, shady business deals with Saudis and Russia) – as long as it’s DISCRETE. They’re also okay with certain members of the magic blood family having commercial ventures, but not married ins. Or not the ones people are currently grumpy with.
It’s part of what reveals that royal institutions, in general, are a massive grift and hella outdated.
I did think that what Haakon said here was crystal clear, though. There’s the personal relationship where he’s happy for his sister and to get to know her partner and there’s the institution that he’s expected to protect and help to continue on.
At the very least they are acknowledging that Martha’s engagement with this odd shaman dude is real and needs clarity. I guess… it’s sad all these European royals are conveniently placing restrictions on royals who marry black Americans. Although Princess Madeleine (Sweden) married a white American male… and shortly after the family took HR status from all the sibs…
The King of Sweden has four sisters, and their children never had any royal status. I’ve never heard any of his sisters express any bitterness about this (which was caused by law before it was amended to allow Victoria to become a crown princess), so quite honestly I don’t think titles were a big thing for the children of the King’s younger children. They weren’t growing up to be royals, and their parents knew it. It was obvious as soon Estelle was born. Madeleine’s children don’t even live in Sweden, neither do they speak Swedish properly (have heard them in the street a couple of times, and it’s American English with a few Swedish words, sometimes even heavily accented). She’s proved she wants to lead a private life, and I’m sure she wants that for her children as well. What comes to Carl Philip, he seems to have had difficulties finding things to do, and I’m sure he wants to save his sons from it. When they’re not burdened with titles, it’s easier for them.
I would argue that they are never burdened by titles. They are burdened by a false sense of duty to an institution that have no real obligations to them. Harry is already finding out that not even security is guaranteed.
These kids are growing up with wealth, but no one is putting them in places where they can become astronauts, doctors, engineers, etc. These kids could be anything and when they have this title, they inevitably take up some shady exec position or model. I find it disappointing and weird.
What is shady about being a Shaman? Native and indigenous practices not cool enough for the western world?
Shamans are part of the Sami culture even in Norway. I know Sami people who believe in that kind of things and I think it’s OK. What I think is that e.g. accusing children of getting cancer or selling amulets to protect people against covid in your own web shop doesn’t have very much to do with native and indigenous practices, and that’s what bothers people here, particularly when the person in question gets lots of free publicity through his choice of partner.
I think the issue arises when non-Native, non-Indigenous people style themselves thusly.
Being a shaman isn’t shady at all, he is.
Just Wikipedia him and you will get a basic idea of what he is like.
He is a slef-described shaman who has worked with very dodgy ‘spiritualists’ and believe in reptilian/5G conspiracies.
He also believes cancers are self-inflicted, but it’s alright because he can cure cancer (and COVID too) with his rituals and practices.
There’s a difference between indigenous/native practices and saying that children get cancer because they want it.
Pumpkin- he said WHAT!!!??? That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard.
It’s not the only horrible thing he’ve said @Rapunzel. He claimed women’s viginas get toxic if they have many sexual partners and that he can cure them. He’s clamed he’s a hybrid of reptil and andromedia. This has nothing to do with native shamanism, or his skin colour, it’s about him being shady as f”^&
The things he said about cancer and believing women’s vaginas get toxic with “too many” partners…YIKES. And men don’t get this criticism?
I can keep an open mind about native healers and I think too many sexual partners will bring exposure to STD’s, period. But I’ll keep 100 yards away from any guy wanting to find problems and “cure” private areas of my body.
Once you become a celebrity shaman, I think you’ve lost the plot. And this guy seems to have lost it awhile back, hence the “shady” descriptor.
Märtha Didn’t get the memo that royalty are supposed to marry someone who manages to hover around her exclusively for a decade and does zero with their life except to be available.
I can’t get my head around the short-sightedness of these royals wanting to strip their immediate family members titles (however embarrassing they may be). She is as Royal as him, born of the king and queen. A monarchy can survive a kook or a criminal prince or princess, they can be shuffled to the side or endured until they’ve aged out and the future generations come up.
For the sake of maintaining the “exclusivity” of a monarchy, or trying to validate “working royals only”, they are killing the actual meaning of a monarchy being about vaunted bloodlines. All it’s going to take is one heir cutting loose before they have kids, the spare not being able to have kids or whatever, and the rest of their siblings having no titles for the sake of “streamlining”, and the game is done!
I honestly believe all the monarchies going down this road will cease within two generations. And hallelujah for it.
I hope you’re right. Monarchy is a ridiculous concept in the 21st century.
He even said something about Sweden being a democracy and how they’re going to democratically deal with this. If you can be “voted out” of your royal status than why have a monarchy? Or why have these particular people be the royals? If Democracy is prevailing and is going to be how they “solve” this problem, then why have a monarchy and all the “we’re special and rule because we’re special and born in a certain order from certain people, and do what we want because we’re special”? When Democracy has to come save and provide cover for the monarchy, why not *just* have democracy then?
@Amytoo, the Norwegian Royals were literally voted in. They are a relatively new monarchy and when Norway split from Sweden it still wanted to have a monarch and Haakon’s ancestor was offered the position.
As for Martha Louise, the Norwegian family has been dealing with her using her title for questionable professional advancement for a very long time. She was asked to stop using her hrh professionally a long time ago, pre-shaman, because she was using it to sell books that, in Norway, were of a controversial nature (she is into angels, spirits, psychic abilities….). As for the shaman, I think this royal family has been welcoming to a degree, Norwegians do have a problem with someone who blames children for getting cancer. While I am sure that racism does play a part in some Norwegians non-acceptance of the shaman, the dude really does seem to go out of his way to invite controversy.
I hope the Norwegians work it out so that she doesn’t use her title but still retains it. If any of the royal families can work it out, the Norwegians can. Remember, the Norwegian Royals welcomed Haakon’s wife notwithstanding opposition because of her past and young son.. I am also reminded that, when asked about the Sussexes during the tense Sandringham “negotiations,’ Haakon, unlike other European royals, did not lambast the Sussexes but said simply that if everyone just took a deep breath and calmed down that everything would work out all right (implying that if everyone stopped freaking out a deal would be able to be struck with the Sussexes on half in half out).
As a side note: Haakon gets my vote as the sexiest Prince, like, ever.
@Mary
Say she retains her title of Princess of Norway but can only use it privately or in family related events, would that make any tangible difference when everyone in Norway knows who she is and what she does? When she’s touring European countries with her Shaman, etc? They know who she is, where she comes from and who her father is.
I don’t know… I feel like her title is the least of their problems concerning her? If a title prevents her from doing what she’s currently doing then how does her not having a title make it better? She will still do as she does. I feel like I just served you a word salad, sorry lol
The sacred bloodline, or special blood, isn’t a talking point in Scandinavia. The kings sisters lives (and lived) a relatively normal life and non of their children have titles, neither does Marthas children. If I remember correctly that’s the same for the Swedish kings nieces and nephews. Haakons youngest son isn’t referd to as HRH on their web site, just prince. The youngest will be free to do whatever he wants.
As @Mary has pointed out, the Norwegian RF were voted in, and they are still wanted by the majority of norwegians. I’ve mentioned before that a survey done last winter showed 79 % of young norwegians are in favour of the monarchy. When asked why, they’ve seen the situations in other countries, America and Russia especially, and prefered to have someone on top the politicians had to answer to. I’m pretty sure that would NOT be the case if the norwegian RF behaved like the british. If they had, they’d be voted out.
Since Mary mentions the Sussexes in connections with the NRF, might I add that Suits is one of the series princess Ingrid likes to watch.
Ingrid seems like such a cool person, overall.
@cee, a Norwegian would be better situated to answer your question about how they would feel but I think you are correct in that whether or not ML is referred to as a princess, Norwegians would still know who she was within the framework of the royal family. Would taking her title away really change how her actions would affect her family?
I should also think that a royal family would not want to remove titles from family members for punitive reasons. First, because it would look bad precisely because it would be punitive.
In denmark, for example, some tabloids are reporting that Joachim’s children are going to be losing their titles as punishment for something that Joachim did or did not do. That just comes across very poorly – punishing the kids for the sins of the father.
Also, it seems to me that it would leave all royal family members subject to being punished by losing their title. If I were a royal I would not rather not have that as something hanging over my head. How far could this be taken?
It would be much better going forward if they simply said that in the future only the heir and the heir’s heir, etc, would be titled a prince or princess.
For my part, I think it would be more palatable for Norwegians if ML simply agreed to not use her princess title at all, received no public funding, and did not appear in any public functions not strictly family related or serve as a patron of any organizations in Norway. If that were the case, over time it would become a non-issue. I just don’t get why ML seems to have an issue reigning herself in for the benefit of the rest of the royals.
I’m far from a royalist, so I’d take all the titles (and other privileges, especially money) away from all the members of royal families who don’t work HARD in their jobs as working royals. Either sweat hard at your taxpayer-paid job or do your own thing without the privileges (titles included).
@nanny to the rescue
But the problem is that that is fundamentally against what a monarchy is. There’s no monarchy by merit; it’s antithetical. Monarchy has always been about bloodline and never about behaviour. And I’ve never once heard ideas of modernising it in this particular way before black people started to join the families. I think monarchies are absurd and anachronistic but the whole thing needs to be done away with; not cherry picking who gets titles and who doesn’t
Modernizing and downscaling the Norwegian monarchy goes back 20 years, Märtha lost her HRH in 2002 already. This was part of her decision to withdraw to private professional life. This was long before Meghan or this shaman.
It is still about the bloodline. It’s just that they ALL have to put in some effort.
For example, have one prince and his heirs, if you want a slimmed down monarchy, and make them work hard. Or have 30 of them, all the siblings and distant relatives, if you so wish, but only if they all work really hard. Anyone wants to go out of the family to start a private business, or lead a private life, or join a reality show? Fine, but you’re not a royal anymore.
That’s how I’d do it, anyway.
Theres no doubt there’s racism in Scandinavia and a certain segment of the population would always be against a member of the royal family marrying a black person.
But Shaman durek is not Meghan markle. He’s really problematic and has been peddling views that flies in the face of science and is quite misogynistic. He’s been exploiting the covid crisis trying to make money of some medallion that’s gonna “protect you from covid”.
What happened is that the some health orgs dumped martha as a patron. And now the public wants her out ( two recent surveys shows that about 59% of the population want her to give up her title.
The king has a soft spot for her and I really I don’t think this is would have happened if the shaman had kept some of his more problematic views to himself/not attempted to make money of the covid crisis or Martha had clarified that this covid medallion wasn’t something she co signed.
Also it’s not quite true that she is completely removed from being a royal
She has continued to have patronage’s and enjoyed the perks of being a princess she always been protected by being a royal and I very much doubt she is lives in LA full time as her kids are in Oslo and 2 of them are still underage/in school ).
If the population wants to be able to vote people in or out maybe consider something besides a monarchy?
Not sure what your point is? It was a survey and I explained that this discussion about her royal title exists because of public pressure. It’s different from somewhere like Denmark where there wasn’t a discussion or public pressure to remove titles. I don’t disagree with you that the population should be able to make a decision on royals. Monarchy in itself is an antiquated concept and was always ridiculous. Abolish the monarchy!
@nanny to the rescue
But the problem is that that is fundamentally against what a monarchy is. There’s no monarchy by merit; it’s antithetical. Monarchy has always been about bloodline and never about behaviour. And I’ve never once heard ideas of modernising it in this particular way before black people started to join the families. I think monarchies are absurd and anachronistic but the whole thing needs to be done away with; not cherry picking who gets titles and who doesn’t.
+1
@grace losing her HRH, sure, but were talking about taking the princess title away altogether. I just think the whole thing needs to be binned.
Another example of why monarchies need to be abolished.
The Norwegian royals are not treating the Shaman badly because of his race but more so of his quacky beliefs which include: believing children get cancer because they want it, claims casual sex attracts sprits into a woman’s vagina and sells “exercises” to “clean it out”, claimed he saw the 9/11 attacks 2 years in advance yet didn’t say anything because “everyone must accept destiny”, tried to sell a medal claiming it cures COVID and other things. And Martha Louise isn’t less kooky either. She opened a school to speak with angels or something. There’s a genuine reason why her family told her to stop using her HRH.
I get that it looks like another Harry/Meghan situation but it’s not. Genuinely problematic beliefs are held by both ML and the Shaman and if the royals want no part of that being attached to them then I really don’t blame them.
💯
Totally agree. And I am a norwegian living in Oslo. The princess is totally bonkers, and the shaman is a dangerous anti-vaxxer. The controvercy with the princess started a long time before she started dating him.
Can the Norwegian govt deny him a work visa and/or deny him a spousal visa because of his anti-science, dangerous views on cancer and covid? At least that would keep them out of Norway.
There’s clearly a pattern here and by now, the Norwegian Royal Family should know better how to handle this and have more understanding.
When Prince Haakon was engaged to now Princess Mette-Marit, it caused a huge controversy since she is a single mom at the time and was allegedly into drugs and heavy partying. She made a public apology and the public now loves her. When his father, King Harald got engaged to Queen Sonja, the King’s father at the time did not approve her cuz she’s a commoner.
Just let these people live their lives the way they want to smh.
In this particular case I don’t think the shaman being black has anything to do with Martha Louise losing her title because they had been trying to restrict her title anyway because of her wacky beliefs. Him being black is probably a factor but the shadiness and wackiness (which existed long before he came on the scene) is what’s propelling this.
I’m sorry, this dude just looks shady and her family is well within their rights to give him the side eye.
Ha ha, the Scandi royals can be just as messy and flat-footed as the Brits. All that hemming and hawing because he can’t say the obvious. We just never pay attention because of language barrier and their populations are the size of a NYC borough.
The guy is dodgy to me, the princess doesn’t seem too sensible, sorry.
I think Haakon has just showed the other European royals how it’s done. You try to find a good solution. Has any of them every heard of grandfathering? They could have made the changes for the next generation. So many ways to do this with tact and kindness. I know they are overprivileged, but dealing with a sibling who gets more than the others is a terrible thing to go through. Then to take even more away could make anyone feel embittered.
If this guy was progressive and wanted to do what is “right,” he would advocate to have his OLDER SISTER take the throne when the time comes, instead of him. Until that happens, I don’t care what he has to say about anything. I feel the same about Albert of Monaco.
The law wasn’t changed then, it is changed now. The next heir is their firstborn child (female) and their second born (male) is the spare. Would it be better in your mind if Martha Louise and her Shady Shaman were the next monarchs? If Felipe of Spain stepped aside so either of his dodgy older sisters could be queen? Or if dodgy Albert stepped aside so his dodgy older sister could head Monaco? Really? The laws weren’t changed then, they are changed now. Move forward from there instead of trying to retro fit with people who have already irreparably messed up their adult lives.
If you meant Gabrielle should be heir not Jacques? Albert was very strange about all of that. When Charlene was expecting, he said if both children were male he’d pick the heir when they were 10. Why not just raise Gabrielle as the heir now, unless the old laws re. Monaco needing a male heir to remain separate from France are still enforceable.
I have a feeling this royal family is more concerned about Martha Louise using her royal title to promote her spiritual business and shaman stuff, which I totally understand. She has been selling and promoting a range of unconventional spiritual things for a while. That would make the royal family uneasy.
Not sure if there is racism is involved, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt unless I see something that’s obviously racist.
I think Norwegians would think the same about this guy if he were white with his dubious shaman credentials and the controversial things he has said about kids and cancer and women’s genitals. There’s an added layer to it because he’s black of course and I think Durek has made comments about not feeling welcome due to the color of his skin. But he’s just as woo woo as Martha Louise and from what I’ve read, she’s courted controversy with her untraditional beliefs.
He claims to be of Haitian/West Indian/Norwegian descent but a historian traced all his ancestors to the US states of Louisiana, Georgia, and Virginia for the past 200 years per Wikipedia. He also claims to be a sixth generation shaman which… is probably not true. He was previously married to a Czech woman for a few years who was 21 when they got married (he was 31) and he reported her to US immigration for whatever reason as they were getting divorced. She was deported from the US. His ex-boyfriend who was with Durek for 8 years has nothing nice to say about him. There’s more but it seems there’s a lot that’s shady about him and it has nothing to do with the color of his skin. The Norwegian Royal Family is kind of stuck either way. If they aren’t welcoming to him, Durek can claim it’s due to racism. But if they do welcome him, it’s seen as legitimizing his conman shaman persona–I’ve listened to a few video clips of him and it’s all standard snake oil salesman stuff and then there’s all the problematic stuff he’s said. But Martha Louise is into that kind of stuff and they seem like two peas in a sketchy pod.