Royal guests confirmed for Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett's wedding

Martha Louise of Norway and shaman Durek Verrett pose for exclusive pre-wedding shoot with HELLO!
Martha Louise of Norway and shaman Durek Verrett pose for exclusive pre-wedding shoot with HELLO!

The first royal guests have been confirmed for Princess Martha Louise's forthcoming wedding to American shaman Durek Verrett.

Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel, along with Victoria's brother, Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia, will be among the 350 guests at the nuptials, taking place at the Hotel Union in Geiranger, on Saturday 31 August.

A spokesperson from the Sweden palace confirmed the royals' attendance at the wedding to the newspaper, Aftonbladet. It is not known whether Victoria and Carl Philip's younger sister, Princess Madeleine and her husband, Christopher O'Neill will also join her siblings.

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The Swedish and Norwegian royal families share a close friendship, and Crown Prince Victoria is godmother to Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway's daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Prince Haakon of Norway, Prince Daniel of Sweden, Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Martha Louise of Norway  at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011
Mette-Marit, Haakon, Daniel, Victoria and Martha Louise at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 (Getty)

Martha also attended Victoria and Daniel's wedding in 2010 and Carl Philip and Sofia's nuptials in 2015.

After a five-year relationship, Martha and Durek will wed in a three-day celebration in Norway from 29 to 31 August, which will be covered exclusively by HELLO!.

Crown Princess Victoria (second top left) is godmother to Mette-Marit's niece, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (front centre)
Crown Princess Victoria (second top left) is godmother to Mette-Marit's niece, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (front centre) (Getty)

The festivities will kick off on Thursday with a meet-and-greet party, followed by a boat trip along the Geiranger Fjord and a Latin American-themed pre-wedding party on Friday.

The ceremony will then be led at Hoel Union by parish priest Margit Lovise Holte.

Martha Louise of Norway and shaman Durek Verrett pose for exclusive pre-wedding shoot with HELLO!
Martha Louise of Norway and shaman Durek Verrett pose for exclusive pre-wedding shoot with HELLO!

"We're very excited," Martha told HELLO! ahead of the wedding. "It feels amazing to be marrying Durek and I'm so happy the day is almost here. The surroundings are gorgeous – it's one of the most beautiful places I know."

"Even if there are a few glitches, we can still gaze at the stunning scenery," she laughed.

Martha is mother to three daughters, whom she shares with her late ex-husband, Ari Behn - Maud, 21, Leah, 19, and Emma, 16.

She said of her decision to wed again: "I had decided not to get married again. But after meeting Durek in 2018, I changed my mind.

"For me, getting married will seal the closeness between us. It's a way of elevating the energy and entering into a new phase of our relationship."

To read the full exclusive interview with Martha Louise and Durek, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK now. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.