Princess Martha Louise of Norway will marry Shaman Durek this August, in a ceremony which is likely to break convention from all royal weddings before. The couple may be controversial, but have spoken of their romance passionately since they first met in 2019. Whilst the shaman sought (and received) the blessing of King Harald and Queen Sonja, that seems to be where traditions will end.
The four-day August celebration on the banks of a UNESCO-listed fjord, the event will encapsulate the couple’s bohemian vibes with a meet-and-greet party (dress code: ‘sexy and cool’), a three-hour boat trip around the Norwegian coastline, and evenings of dinner and dancing. The monogram – which is ‘unofficial’ since Märtha Louise relinquished her titles and patronages in a - step-back from royal life – is a combination of their initials, styled, naturally, in the manner of Egyptian hieroglyphs. They are far from the first rebels when it comes to royal weddings.
Among them, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who last year celebrated 50 years of marriage. Prince Richard and his Danish bride, Birgitte van Deurs, wed in 1972 at St Andrew’s Church, a short walk from Barnwell Manor, their family seat. The bride arrived a few minutes late – but that is where tradition ended.
The rest of the wedding was unconventional and certainly did not display royal grandeur. Van Deurs held the train of her Norman Hartnell gown herself, having opted neither for bridesmaids nor flower . She wo.