Norway furious with Princess Märtha Louise after interview, national media hit back hard | royalty

We rewind to November 2022. Princess Märtha Louise is stepping down from her official duties for the royal family. She does this to make a “clearer distinction” between her royal and private role. Although the princess emphasizes that her relationship with shaman Durek Verrett (47) has no influence on the decision, everything seems to point to the opposite. Since the princess started a relationship with the American in 2019, the two have constantly caused a stir with their spiritual practices. Things that people at the palace in Oslo do not want to be associated with.

In the meantime, three months have passed and Märtha Louise gave a major TV interview. During the conversation it became clear that Märtha Louise has not made peace with the situation. “I always enjoyed doing those official duties,” says Märtha Louise, who hopes to return to official positions for the Norwegian royal family in the future. “Do I hope so? Yes, if I get the chance, I agree.”

LOOK. Boyfriend of Norwegian princess causes a stir again

The princess also claimed that she had to distance herself because of things Derek has said and the way he is perceived. The princess herself says she is not to blame, although she also received a lot of comments. “I think in all of Norway I am probably the one who has received the most criticism of all,” said Märtha Louise. She is very sorry that she has “lost everything” and then also broke down in tears.

Her ex-husband, Ari Behn, also came up during the conversation. The couple married in 2002 and welcomed three children together before announcing their divorce in 2017. Finally, Ari Behn – a talented author – took his own life on Christmas Day in 2019, sending shock waves through Norway. But now Märtha Louise seemed to blame the media for that act of desperation: Martha Louise claimed that all the media attention harmed her ex-husband and stated that he “never got critical acclaim again” after their marriage.

When asked if the Norwegian media are responsible for Ari’s death, the princess said: “They admit it themselves. His mental health depended heavily on being criticized in the media. The press took the criticism after he died that maybe they were a bit harsh on him and that he was just being criticized when he was actually a very likeable person. They never said that when he was with me, then he was just called arrogant.”

LOOK. Ex-husband of Norwegian princess Märtha Louise takes her own life

Not only the comments about her royal life, but especially the statements about the media are causing bad blood in Norway. The public reaction has been devastating and even the umbrella organization above the Norwegian press has since released a statement. “Märtha Louise largely blames the Norwegian media for Ari Behn’s suicide. That is deeply shocking, very unfair and she has no evidence whatsoever. This is not true at all,” responds Reidun Kjelling Nybø, top woman of the so-called ‘Norsk Redaktørforening’.

“We note that the princess is confusing critical statements from media sources and the media itself,” the statement continues. “She also makes it sound like the media is to blame for stepping back from her official duties last fall. It is very serious and very surprising that she chooses to put all the blame on the media in this way.”

The editor-in-chief of the Norwegian newspaper ‘Dagbladet’ also published a sharp reaction to the interview. “Of course Märtha Louise has the right to share her opinion about living in a privileged bubble, which few of us can speak about,” it sounded. “But the press has to listen to criticism from someone who has appeared in the media since birth. It has undoubtedly affected her deeply that she now describes herself as hypersensitive. But even a princess cannot just make up fairy tales and present them as alternative facts.”

The well-known Norwegian royal family expert Trond Norén Isaksen, on the other hand, responded laconically, pointing out that only 13 percent of Norwegians support the princess as a member of the royal family. “She claims the media distorts everything and she blames the media for everything. But a big part of the problem here is that she takes very little responsibility for her own actions or statements.”

According to Norwegian media, the princess, the shaman and the royal family refuse to comment on the uproar.

“Crisis council in the palace”: Norwegian king convenes family about Princess Märtha Louise

Following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Why Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise is leaving the royal family (+)