It’s been just over a year since Princess Märtha Louise of Norway married Durek Verrett, a self-described “shaman”, in a highly-anticipated royal wedding, and while the first anniversary might traditionally be the “paper” anniversary, the unconventional couple will be marking their first year together with film—specifically, a documentary.
Titled Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, it “follows the couple as they prepare for their wedding, seek spiritual guidance, and navigate a media storm.” The documentary will debut on Netflix on September 16, and is directed by Tiger King’s Rebecca Chaiklin.
“When I saw the Vanity Fair article about a princess and a shaman falling in love, it instantly caught my eye,” Chaiklin said when the film was announced. “Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek were two completely unexpected, wild, and charismatic characters from totally different worlds, navigating a swirl of controversy and fighting for love. It was a great fish-out-of-water story—and they were so funny. So I just had to convince them (and the spirits) that I was “lit” enough to be the one to tell their story.”
Though she is the eldest daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, Märtha Louise gave up her official royal duties in 2022, a few months after she and Verett got engaged. At the time, it was announced that she wanted to “differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway.”
When they revealed their engagement in the summer of 2022, the couple spoke to T&C about the public perception of their relationship. "It’s a bit challenging for people to see something new, to evolve past their comfort zones,” Verett explained. “We try to understand where people are and find ways to bring about more education so people can start to see things differently and be comfortable with change. It requires a lot of compassion. It requires a lot of love, a lot of patience.”
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.
