Princess Märtha Louise & Durek Verrett: News & Information 2019 - 2024

Tatiana Maria said:

Thanks! Was Ari Behn gifted his bunad or did he inherit or purchase it?

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The difference between Ari and Durek in wearing a bunad is that Ari is Norwegian and Durek isn't. However if Durek wants to wear a bunad to show his respect and love for Norwegian tradition, the country he has decided to live in the future, it is ok IMO

hereditarytitles said:

The difference between Ari and Durek in wearing a bunad is that Ari is Norwegian and Durek isn't. However if Durek wants to wear a bunad to show his respect and love for Norwegian tradition, the country he has decided to live in the future, it is ok IMO

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I had to look up what the bunad was. I love the traditional Norwegian clothing, it is so colorful. It seems there are a variety of options, too. It will be interesting to see how many guests participate. It does seem a rather last minute request but we will see. If they are filming for a later commercial production I can understand their wanting a change in dress; another one of their bright ideas. Also, we will see how the Norwegian people respond to Durek wearing a bunad. Given who Durek is it makes me think this wedding may turn into just another farce, unfortunately.

Tatiana Maria said:

Thanks! Was Ari Behn gifted his bunad or did he inherit or purchase it?

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Ari wore a bunad at Haakon and Mette-Marit's wedding in 2001. He was Märtha Louise's boyfriend then. I haven't found any information about his bunad.

tommy100 said:

Given how controversial the Sham Man is in Norway will Norwegians be a little offended to see him wearing their national dress? Isn't it a form of cultural appropriation in some people's eyes.

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And if i understand it correctly the tradition is quite strict… You only wear bunads from a place in Norway where either you or your parents have a connection to if i understand it correctly…

So if the tradition should be followed it should not just be wearing whatever you like…. But i don’t expect this couple to adhere to many traditions unless there is a way around it

Hans-Rickard said:

And if i understand it correctly the tradition is quite strict… You only wear bunads from a place in Norway where either you or your parents have a connection to if i understand it correctly…

So if the tradition should be followed it should not just be wearing whatever you like…. But i don’t expect this couple to adhere to many traditions unless there is a way around it

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According to Durek, his mother is of Norwegian decent.
"Verrett has claimed that his mother, Sheilah G. Farmer, who goes by the alias Veruschka Urquhart, is of Norwegian-West Indian[19][20] descent,"

Ari Behns bunad is from Nordmøre, he had a grandfather from that part of the country (Averøya). So its not really that strict, you can get what kind of bunad you can afford really. Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus both has a Telemarksbunad (the most popular bunad in the best parts of Oslo) and it is their great grandmother that is from Telemark (Dagny Haraldsen) so not really close relations to Telemark at all. But now it seems Ingrid Alexandra will end up with 20 bunads or so before she is queen…4 at only 20 years old…

polyesco said:

According to Durek, his mother is of Norwegian decent.
"Verrett has claimed that his mother, Sheilah G. Farmer, who goes by the alias Veruschka Urquhart, is of Norwegian-West Indian[19][20] descent,"

Durek Verrett - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Princess and the Shaman

When Gwyneth Paltrow’s guru met Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, reality seemed like a fairy tale. Can these two lovers have their happily ever after?

www.vanityfair.com

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That claim has been proven to only go through a step-relation at best.

Verrett is not exactly a reliable source for anything, least of all having to do with himself.

That being said, surely Norway's immigrant community who want bunads must be able to wear them? (I imagine you just wear the one for wherever you live, or Verrett, being privileged, will pick whichever one he likes or inhabited in a past life.)

Prinsara said:

That claim has been proven to only go through a step-relation at best.

Verrett is not exactly a reliable source for anything, least of all having to do with himself.

That being said, surely Norway's immigrant community who want bunads must be able to wear them? (I imagine you just wear the one for wherever you live, or Verrett, being privileged, will pick whichever one he likes or inhabited in a past life.)

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Oh I know. That wont stop the Shaman from making the connection. Of course I expect some Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh connection as well somewhere on his attire

What about all the non Norwegian wedding guests? Is there a special wedding bunad that one wears that I'm unaware of for occasions like this? Otherwise, it seems like these two love birds are making a mockery of the tradition.

According to the posted TV2 and Se og Hør reports, it is unclear if Durek Verrett will wear his own recently commissioned bunad for his wedding, even now that he and his fiancée have encouraged their guests to wear bunads themselves.

A person focused on the optics of the situation might suggest that if the footage captured by the camera crew filming the wedding is destined for an American audience, then having the American groom dressed in a sophisticated modern suit while the Norwegian wedding guests are dressed in old-fashioned bucolic ethnic costumes could help to reinforce the idea of Norway as a society full of parochial, narrowminded racists with outdated views in the eyes of the American viewers.

Less cynically, if Durek does not wear the bunad for the wedding, perhaps it is not ready yet (how long does it take to create a bunad?) or he would like to wait until he is married to a Norwegian and more settled in Norway before donning Norwegian national costume.

Lady Daly said:

Bunad – the Norwegian traditional costume

Discover Norway's colourful and proud traditional costume!

www.visitnorway.com

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Thank you for the link. Interesting that only 20% of men own a bunad while 70% of women do.

Should we expect ML to also wear a bunad with a wedding crown (per the above article)?

In documents that Aftenposten has gained access to: American filmmakers are making a documentary about Märtha Louise and Durek for "one of the world's leading streaming services". It is not yet known which.
The well-known Netflix director Rebekka Chaiklin, who was behind the smash hit "Tiger King", is directing the documentary. The American production company Nordic Pictures LL is behind the documentary and collaborates with an unnamed Norwegian company.

Lady Daly said:

Margie Plus looks like a real A-lister wedding guest.

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I'm so hoping you were joking because no one knows her but I found a video interview of her, with only 7.4k views in 2 years. It now makes sense why she is the type of character fit for the Shaman's circle of pals: California Dreaming w/ Chanel West Coast and Margie Plus

The hand gestures, fakeness of it all and two brain cells left fighting for third place seems so right for this circle of influencers ML and Shaman surround themselves with.
Typo, did I say circle? I meant circus.

LadyFinn said:

In documents that Aftenposten has gained access to: American filmmakers are making a documentary about Märtha Louise and Durek for "one of the world's leading streaming services". It is not yet known which.
The well-known Netflix director Rebekka Chaiklin, who was behind the smash hit "Tiger King", is directing the documentary. The American production company Nordic Pictures LL is behind the documentary and collaborates with an unnamed Norwegian company.

Netflix-regissør lager dokumentar om Märtha og Durek

Kamerateamet skal følge det kommende brudeparet i opptakten til bryllupet.

www.nettavisen.no

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I'd watch a documentary made to look like a mockumentary about these two, with high expectations that it'll be an unironic, modern-day Arrested Development kind of show...

As it is always about earning money, Netflix is probably interested because that pair generates a lot of attention, even if most of it is on the negative side. But people are curious and will want to watch it and it could turn out as a success in terms of earning money for all people involved. Sad to say, but that seems to be what is important in our modern times.

Some wedding guests:
American artist Margie Plus
African princess Keisha Omilana of Ipetu-Ijesha
Mari Manzetti
Jump rider Geir Gulliksen, his daughter Victoria and son Johan Sebastian Gulliksen, and Gulliksen's wife Elisabeth.
Jan Thomas and her boyfriend Harlem Alexander

Don't forget to count the guests who are there in spirit...

- I tried, but I simply couldn't resist.

hereditarytitles said:

As it is always about earning money, Netflix is probably interested because that pair generates a lot of attention, even if most of it is on the negative side. But people are curious and will want to watch it and it could turn out as a success in terms of earning money for all people involved. Sad to say, but that seems to be what is important in our modern times.

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It seems that they have sold the photos to Hello Magazine:
The wedding is private. But when number four in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne marries, it nevertheless arouses considerable public interest.
NRK has asked Märtha Louise's manager Carina Scheele Carlsen several times whether the press will have access to the wedding, and whether the public will be able to see pictures from the wedding.
- Our plan is not completely clear, Carlsen has replied then.
NRK has now received information from several independent sources that the celebrity magazine Hello Magazine has the rights to show photos from the wedding. According to NRK, the TV rights for the wedding events are to be linked to the streaming giant Netflix.

Sounds like Peter & Autumn who also made sure to make money from their wedding. They are just taking it to the next degree by also including a Netflix deal and having several products for sale.

Blog Real said:

Some wedding guests:
American artist Margie Plus
African princess Keisha Omilana of Ipetu-Ijesha
Mari Manzetti
Jump rider Geir Gulliksen, his daughter Victoria and son Johan Sebastian Gulliksen, and Gulliksen's wife Elisabeth.
Jan Thomas and her boyfriend Harlem Alexander

Disse skal i bryllupet

Jan Thomas, Lilli Bendriss, venner fra hestemiljøet og en afrikansk prinsesse skal til Geiranger.

www.seher.no

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Who??

I think selling to Hello! is fine (though it grates me personally) so long as no public money is going into the wedding.

Peter and Autumn sold their pics to Hello! and perhaps not surprisingly after that the late Queen seemed much more happy to pick up the bill for her grandchildren's weddings - probably in part to avoid similar fall out.

If the RF aren't bank rolling a wedding selling pics is fine IMO (tbf its probably the most "normal thing" these two have done) but Netflix is a new step - a few still pics is different from the whole thing being filmed. It certainly will make it harder not to get Harald, Sonja, Haakon and MM in the footage - and right now with everything going on with Marius I expect exposure to more media is not what they want.

Märtha Louise: "I'm very excited to be in HELLO! and HOLA! - they always have lovely photo shoots. Our wedding location in Gerainger is very beautiful and special to me and I'm really looking forward to it."
Durek: "I love HELLO! and HOLA! and I really appreciate being in the magazines. I've been reading articles and feel that they really understand me and Märtha. Other publications turn me into something I am not, but HELLO! and HOLA! really represent who I am and I'm grateful for that."
- Thursday: a meet-and-greet party, with a "sexy and cool" dress code, in the garden of Hotel 1904 in Alesund.
- Friday: boat trip along the Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger village, after which a Latin American-themed pre-wedding party at Hotel Union.
- seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen
- The first photo of the bride and groom will be published on HELLO! and HOLA's websites on the evening of the wedding day, the full album in the print issue of HELLO! out on 3 September.

VG has sent the following questions to the Palace, without an answer so far:
Hello Magazine confirms that Märtha Louise and Durek have sold the image rights to them. What does the Palace think about this?
Does the Palace know how much the future bride and groom will be paid for these rights?
In what way is the royal family involved in Märtha Louise and Durek's agreement with Hello Magazine?
Are photos of members of the royal family included in this deal?
Will the royal family pose for photos taken by Hello Magazine?
Märtha Louise may not use the title of princess in commercial contexts. What does the royal family think that the wedding is now also a commercial event?
Will Märtha Louise be able to use the princess title in connection with the wedding?
VG also contacted Märtha Louise's manager, Carina Scheele, with questions. She hasn't answered.

Simon Valvik, the press officer for the event, shared some information about the wedding. The wedding is a private event, and that the guest list and details of the program for the celebration and its content will therefore not be shared publicly with either the public or the press from their side.

I bet they are exited about every HOLA-penny indeed . But HOLA does indeed understand their celebrities well: only puffed up pieces with glamorous photos and flattering text. And what celebrity can resist that?

'Sexy and cool' themed party seems a bit desperately 'trying to stay young' for somebody approaching her mid 50s IMO but it perhaps does mean that we will have some interesting fashion choices to look forward to. The boat trip near the fjords and Alesund itself must be wonderful. There are few things more majestic than the Norwegian coast line.

Somebody said:

Sounds like Peter & Autumn who also made sure to make money from their wedding. They are just taking it to the next degree by also including a Netflix deal and having several products for sale.

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One difference is that the minor members of the British royal family you mention sold their photos to a publication in their own country, while the princess couple will apparently market the images and video footage of their wedding to a foreign audience. (Yes, Durek is American, but it is the Norwegian royal family he is marrying into.)

LadyFinn said:

Märtha Louise may not use the title of princess in commercial contexts. What does the royal family think that the wedding is now also a commercial event?
Will Märtha Louise be able to use the princess title in connection with the wedding?
VG also contacted Märtha Louise's manager, Carina Scheele, with questions. She hasn't answered.

Märtha Louise og Dureks bryllup: – Definitivt et kommersielt samarbeid

Kongehusets medlemmer nekter å la seg filme og fotografere av mediene som har fått eksklusive rettigheter under prinsessebryllupet når bare de er til stede.

www.vg.no

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I wonder about the implications for the family agreement(s), too. Is it compliant with its terms?

Well she is clearly using her title in a commercial context because the wedding is now a commercial entity to be bought and sold to the highest bider. I'd love to know how the Royal House responds if it does.

Members of the royal family refuse to allow themselves to be filmed and photographed by the media, who have been given exclusive rights during the princess wedding, when only they are present.
- We are aware that exclusive rights have been granted to two media for the coverage of the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett. The members of the royal family have reserved themselves from being photographed and filmed by these two media, in those cases where the press otherwise does not have access, writes Guri Varpe, head of communications at the Palace.

I was thinking about the seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen at the second wedding?
At Märtha Louise's first it looked like this:
Pic

LadyFinn said:

Members of the royal family refuse to allow themselves to be filmed and photographed by the media, who have been given exclusive rights during the princess wedding, when only they are present.
- We are aware that exclusive rights have been granted to two media for the coverage of the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett. The members of the royal family have reserved themselves from being photographed and filmed by these two media, in those cases where the press otherwise does not have access, writes Guri Varpe, head of communications at the Palace.

Märtha Louise og Dureks bryllup: – Definitivt et kommersielt samarbeid

Kongehusets medlemmer nekter å la seg filme og fotografere av mediene som har fått eksklusive rettigheter under prinsessebryllupet når bare de er til stede.

www.vg.no

I was thinking about the seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen at the second wedding?
At Märtha Louise's first it looked like this:
Pic

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Almost all European royals were present. I'm pretty sure that none of them will show up this time!

Gosh they really were - this time round will be different for sure!

So basically TMs and CP couple won't appear in the photos for the parts of the wedding where no other press is allowed? But will appear in any photos taken by Hello/Hola at the parts where the other media is present. Does that mean they might pose for exclusive photos for Hello/Hola at those parts of the wedding?

Well, if there is to be an official wedding photo ML and Durek will try and include as many of the most prominent guests as at all possible and I think it will be difficult for these guests to refuse to pose without insulting the happy couple. So such a photo is bound to be published.
And if there are just a reasonable number of prominent, especially royal, persons in that photo ML and Durek will make sure that copies will be send to even the remotest homes in Alabama and Lesotho.

So they'll have two camera crews from paying media
plus the usual royal reporters and photographers
plus reporters shouting questions about the Marius situation
plus guests and family members taking pix for their own social media
All they need is Harry and Meghan and a couple of crews from Netflix!