The princess's mother-in-law is carried away from the wedding

 

Royally
Princess Märtha Louise
The princess threatens the mother-in-law with a millionaire

Ellen Sundstrom

Published 09.15

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and shaman Durek Verret are ready to go to court.

The couple threatens to sue the shaman's mother for millions.

Quick version 

• Princess Märtha Louise of Norway threatens to sue her mother-in-law Veruschka Urquhart for defamation together with her fiance Durek Verrett.
• They believe it damages her and her fiance Durek Verrett's reputation.
• The conflict escalated after Veruschka criticized Durek's way of practicing shamanism in the media, prompting Märtha Louise to send a "cease and desist" letter.

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, 52, and her American fiance shaman Durek Verrett, 49, are planning a wedding.

But Durek's mother, Veruschka Urquhart, 81, is not invited, according to Se og Hør.

Veruschka has spoken about her son several times in the Norwegian press, most recently in February this year. Among other things, about the particular invitation that did not come.

And it is her statements that have now led to lawsuit threats from the Norwegian royal couple.

In a letter to Veruschka, lawyer Richard Gora accuses her of defamation on behalf of Princess Märtha Louise and

Durek Verrett, reports Se og Hør.

“We have learned that you have made and continue to make defamatory, derogatory, false and provocative statements that damage the good name and reputation of the shaman Durek. Shaman Durek categorically denies all statements,” the letter reads.

She is being asked to retract her statements - or they will sue her for millions of dollars in damages.

Hotel Union in Geiranger is the central location for the wedding of the princess and the shaman. Photo: TT

"He works against the world"

In Se og Hør at Easter last year, the shaman's mother told that she had not been allowed to meet her son's fiancee yet - even though Märtha and Durek spent Christmas in her hometown of New York.

According to her, the son had broken contact because of her reaction to his new approach to his "shamanship".

Durek went from calling himself an urban shaman, to being a third generation shaman, and finally a sixth generation shaman. But then he distanced himself from what the spiritual Veruschka himself thought he should care about.

- He wanted me to compromise my principles and my morals and join their team. But he doesn't work for the world, he works against the world, she said last March, mother Veruschka told Se og Hør.

"Tacky and shameful"

According to Se og Hør, other people in the princess's and the shaman's surroundings have received similar legal threats.

"Märtha used her royal title in the letters, which I thought was incredibly tacky and shameful. I received one of the letters. In the letter, she threatened to sue me for millions of dollars if I ever spoke publicly about her boyfriend," wrote the American author Taro Gold in an email to VG .

Princess Märtha Louise has confirmed the existence of the letter to VG. She said the letter was an ordinary letter sent by a lawyer, a so-called "cease and desist letter".

It is a type of letter that can be sent by a company to warn another party of what they believe is a breach of the law – and that legal action will be taken if the illegal actions do not stop.