Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is getting married in 2024! Ahead of her big day, get to know the royal bride to be...
1. She was born on Sept. 22, 1971 in Oslo.
© Bettmann2. She is King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway's first child.
3. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha, and after her great-great grandmother, Queen Louise (the mother of King Haakon VII).
© LISE AASERUD4. She became a big sister in 1973 with the birth of her brother Crown Prince Haakon, who is the heir to the Norwegian throne. In a tribute to mark her "wonderful" brother's 50th birthday in 2023, the Princess penned (translated to English): "I’m so glad I was lucky enough to be your sister all these years. You have so much depth, warmth, generosity, somewhat remotely, humor, training stamina, joy and so much curiosity in you about what you're interested in. You are simply awesome in so many areas and I'm endlessly proud of you. So in love with you."
5. While she is the King and Queen's firstborn, the Princess is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne after her nephew Prince Sverre Magnus. Per the Norwegian Royal House: "A constitutional amendment adopted in 1990 established the right of eldest born child to succeed to the Throne regardless of gender; however, as the amendment entered into force long after the Princess and Crown Prince were born, it was decided that males would continue to take precedence over females for children born prior to 1990."
6. She was previously married to author Ari Behn. They tied the knot in May 2002. Queen Maxima, King Willem-Alexander, Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip were among the royals in attendance. In 2016, the Norwegian Princess and Ari decided to part ways, and in 2017, they were divorced.
7. The Princess is a mom. She has three daughters—Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn—whom she shared with Ari, who died in 2019.
8. She is a godparent to a future Queen, her niece: Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
9. She started dating Shaman Durek Verrett in 2018 and confirmed their romance in 2019, writing: "When you meet your twin flame, you know. I have been lucky enough to have met mine. @shamandurek has changed my life, like he does with so many. He has made me realize that unconditional love actually exists here on this planet. He embraces all of me without question or fear. He makes me laugh more than anyone, has the most profound wisdom to share and all the bits in between from the diversity of his being. I feel so happy and blessed that he is my boyfriend. Thank you my love, for including me so generously into your family. I love you from this eternity to the next. And to those of you who feel the need to criticize: Hold your horses. It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me. I don’t choose my man to satisfy any of you or the norms or boxes you have chosen in your mind for me to be in. I don’t thrive there, nor do I exist in your illusion about me. I choose from love. And that’s it. Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfills me. So thank you for respecting my actions and my choice of partner. All I know at this moment is that we love each other and I am super happy."
10. In 2019, it was decided that she would no longer use her title of Princess in business activities.
11. She announced her engagement to Shaman Durek Verrett in June 2022. On her Instagram, she wrote: "I am so happy to announce that I am engaged to Shaman Durek, the one who makes my heart skip, the one who sees me and acknowledges me from my highest potential, who makes me laugh and who I can be vulnerable with. Love transcends and makes us grow. And I am so happy to continue to grow with this beautiful man."
12. She relinquished her royal duties in November 2022.
13. She will marry Shaman Durek Verrett on Aug. 31, 2024 at the Hotel Union Geiranger in Geiranger, Norway. "It means a lot to us to gather our loved ones in a place that is so rich in history and intense nature experiences," the Princess said of her wedding venue in 2023 (translated to English). "Geiranger is the perfect place to embrace our love."
