Photo: Per Ole Hagen/Getty
Princess Märtha Louiseof Norway is stepping away from her royal role.
The 51-year-old daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja has renounced the royal responsibilities she inherited at birth, the Royal House of Norway announced Tuesday. The decision was made so that Märtha Louise can more freely pursue other interests without the restrictions of being affiliated with the crown, and comes ahead of her wedding to her fiancéShaman Durek.
“Princess Märtha Louise wishes to differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway. The Princess has therefore decided, in consultation with His Majesty The King and other close family members, that she will not carry out official duties for the Royal House at the present time,” the palace said in astatement.
“The Princess is patron of various organisations, and today she informed them that she is relinquishing her patronage role, which has provided the framework for her official duties. The Princess is taking this step to create a clearer dividing line between her business activities and her role as a member of the Royal Family. The organisations previously under her patronage will be offered the patronage of other members of the Royal Family,” it continued.
Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Martha Louise, King Harald and Queen Sonja.LISE AASERUD/AFP via Getty
The release specified that Märtha Louise and Durek “are seeking to distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway,” and will not use her princess title or reference other members of the royal family on social media, in media work or for other commercial purposes. An exception has been made for Märtha Louise’s @PrincessMarthaLouise handle onInstagram, and her father the King is allowing her to keep her princess title.
“The King and Queen wish to thank Princess Märtha Louise for the important work she has carried out in her official capacity for several decades. She has performed her duties with warmth, care and deep commitment,” the statement added.
Princess Märtha Louise confirmed the news in anInstagramvideo, giving a brief address in Norwegian.
In an extensive caption, she began, “In consultation with His Majesty the King and the rest of the immediate family, I have decided that, at the present time, I will not continue my official duties as patron of various organizations. Someone else in the family will take over my role. I wish the organizations the best of luck with the important work they are doing.”
She confirmed that the transition process had been smooth, “where we have all embraced each other’s views in a loving and respectful way,” and repeated the new terms for the use of her name on social media.
As for the new adventures ahead, Märtha Louise said, “I am concerned with health and research and myself have an education in the field of health as a physiotherapist and respect school medicine. I see alternative medicine as an important supplement to school medicine.”
“Hope this brings greater peace both for the Royal House in their important work and for my fiancee, Durek Verrett and me,” the caption concluded.
HEIKO JUNGE/AFP via Getty
The shakeup comes amid reports that the King, 85, had been discussing the decision with his son and successor,Crown Prince Haakon, and Märtha Louise, according toSe og Hør.The former royal gave up “Her Royal Highness” styling in 2002 in order to pursue a career in the entertainment industry,Vanity Fairreported at the time, and agreed to stop using her princess title for business ventures in 2019, theRoyal House of Norwaysaid in a statement.
The mother of three was open aboutdealing with depressionfollowing her ex’s death.
She found love again a few years later — In May 2019, Märtha Louise revealed that she was in a new relationship with Durek, a Los Angeles-based “spiritual guide and gifted healer” with a loyal celebrity fan base. At the time, she described Durek, 47, as her “twin flame” and pledged to love him for a lifetime — a promise made official when theygot engagedin June 2022.
Shaman Durek and Princess Märtha Louise.Babak Golkar
“I was very nervous because I had a lot of emotions going through me — fears and stress and wanting it to be perfect for my beloved,” Durek toldPEOPLEof popping the question.
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Of becoming the first modern Black man to marry into a European royal family, he added, “[It] will set a precedent for my people that we are not to be forgotten, and we deserve to be acknowledged for the greatness of who we are and where we come from. There’s always been kings and queens in Africa, but unfortunately, they haven’t been recognized in the world in the way that they deserve.”
As for wedding plans, the couple told PEOPLE, “We have many ideas of what we want, but we want to take our time with this to make it very special for ourselves, our families, and our friends. We don’t have a date in mind at the moment, but we will share it once we have decided.”
Queen Margrethe with Prince Joachim and his family.Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
“With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look ahead. It is my duty and my desire as Queen to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in keeping with the times. Sometimes, this means that difficult decisions must be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment,” shesaid in a statement. “Holding a royal title involves a number of commitments and duties that, in the future, will lie with fewer members of the royal family. This adjustment, which I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy, I want to take in my own time.”
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustafannouncedin October 2019 that the children of younger daughterPrincess Madeleine(who has three children with husband) Chris O’Neill as well as sonPrince Carl Philip(who has three sons with wifePrincess Sofia) would no longer be official members of the royal house. They retained their titles of prince or princess, but the titles became personal and any future spouses or children will not have a right to them.
source: people.com
