norwegian royal yacht norge

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By SuperyachtNews 10 Jan 2014

Model of Norwegian royal yacht at Bonhams

A 165cm shipbuilder’s model of the norwegian royal yacht, k/s norge (ex sy philante) is coming up for sale at bonhams’ two-day gentleman’s library sale….

When Prince Carl of Denmark acceded to the Norwegian throne as King Haarkon Vll in 1905, he was promised a royal yacht, in line with most European Monarchs. However, economic problems and WWI intervened to prevent this actually taking place. Following the end of WWII, a nation-wide appeal was launched to finally purchase a yacht for the elderly King, held in huge respect for his resistance to Nazi Germany and attention focused on Sopwith's yacht, which was purchased for him in 1947. A model was commissioned, which was finished in time to be presented to the King for his 75th birthday, and the refitted vessel, now renamed Norge (Norway) sailed to Scandinavia in 1948. Taken over by King Olav after King Haakon's death in 1957, she underwent a 10 year refitting programme and was extensively used for State and pleasure purposes by the Royal Family. A serious fire in 1985 occasioned a further extensive refit. Now owned by King Harald, Norge is still fully employed on royal duties. She is one of only three European Royal Yachts still in commission (the others belonging Denmark and Holland).

384 A fine shipbuilders model of K/S Norge , ex. SY Philante 1937, the Norwegian Royal Yacht Commissioned from Bassett-Lowke Ltd. following her refit in 1947. Hull of solid timber, painted white to the waterline with brass edged portlights and windows, and accommodation ladders slung outboard on both sides. Maroon below, with a broad blue boot top and twin, four blade brass propellers. Timber decks with inscribed plank lines in Indian ink. White superstructure with buff funnel and open bridge, with wheel binnacle and wing telegraphs. Fine metal detailing includes anchors, cable and windlass, ventilators, cargo derrick, radar and searchlight, guard rails and stanchions, ship's boats and launches on davits. Mounted on silvered posts in a glazed mahogany display case and bearing a brass plaque inscribed SY Philante built by Camper and Nicholson 1937 for Sir Thomas Sopwith Draft 15ft6in Length 263ft Displacement 1,600tons Beam 38ft. Royal Yacht Norge Camper & Nicholson refit 1947/8 for King Haakon of Norway. The model 65ins.(165cm)long. Also included is a framed telegram from King Haakon to Charles Nicholson, "Thank you and all your hands for excellent work refitting Norge for her new purpose" 77x20x60ins.(196x51x153cm) 2 £15,000-20,000

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The Royal Watcher

Royal holiday in norway, 1969.

The Norwegian Royal Family hosted the British Royal Family in Bergen on this day in 1969, 55 years ago, during their Holiday in Norway on the Royal Yacht Britannia. The  British and Norwegian Royal Families have had a long and close family relationship for over a century . 

Following a Review of the Guard, the Royal Party visited Edward Grieg’s House in Troldhaugen for a Private Concert.

That evening, King Olav hosted a spectacular Banquet for the Queen (wearing the Coronation Necklace and Earrings ) and British Royal Family at the Hakonshall in Bergen.

Prince Andrew and Prince Edward joined the Royal Party for a visit to the Aquarium in Bergen, ahead of a Tour of the Old Town and a Lunch at the Fløyen Restaurant.

Travelling up the Western Norwegian Coast, the British and Norwegian Royal Families stopped in Åndalsnes the following day, while Crown Prince Harald took the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince of Wales on a fishing trip. The British and Norwegian Royal Families also paid a visit to the royal birch at Glomstein.

The Royal Party then moved on to Trondheim, where, following the Guard of Honour, there was a Procession through the streets to the Stiftsgården.

That evening, there was a Gala Performance in honour of the Queen (wearing Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace ) held in Trondheim.

The next day, the British and Norwegian Royal Families had lunch with Norwegian Prime Minister Per Borten at his farm in Flå after playing Boccia.

It was on the last day of the visit, after the weekend had been spent in Trondheim, that Magnhild and Per Borten were able to welcome the Queen, King Olav and Crown Princess Sonja at the family farm Bortn in Flå. Crown Prince Harald was on a fishing trip with Prince Philip. After lunch, the Fing accompanied his British guests to Værnes air station, where they boarded a Royal Air Force plane to return home.

The Royal Family’s Christmas Card Photograph was taken on the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia during the Holiday in Norway.

Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

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The British Royal Family were hosted by their Norwegian Royal Cousins on their Family Holiday to Norway, which started on this day in 1969!

The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne were greeted by their cousin King Olav V of Norway, then Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja when they alighted from the Royal Yacht Britannia in Bergen. After reviewing the guard, the royal group visited Grieg’s House in Troldhaugen.

The British Royal Family attended a Banquet hosted by King Olav at the Hakonshall in Bergen, during the Royal Holiday in Norway in 1969! https://t.co/styvEimN8z pic.twitter.com/pIVZ3RcOQX — The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) August 22, 2020 Embed from Getty Images window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'VSSHJvEdTo5LW8KP-MreSg',sig:'gXUBOmmeyJ_B_usLrpEpju5RN76gODKFHgRNgR5sfws=',w:'259px',h:'400px',items:'460671292',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Embed from Getty Images window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'TzueNLLFRTN5DtIIQ1bLyA',sig:'9Y7lNEGjAv0kA_qu0nMEhUZEViTTrQAbxN5iOfChRts=',w:'271px',h:'400px',items:'460672772',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});

In the evening, they British royals attended a banquet given by King Olav at the Hakonshall in Bergen.

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Other days included a private picnic near Trondheim, visits to Torvkaien, Glomstein, and the Aquarium in Bergen with little Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

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One thought on “ royal holiday in norway, 1969 ”.

I really liked King Olav! I think his great grandson Prince Sverre Magnus is his spitting image. Sometimes I do a double take when I see pictures of him because I think it’s King Olav as a boy! Queen Elizabeth looks magnificent during this visit. I think she looks especially nice in the green gown with her diamond riviere.

I can’t help but admire Princess Anne’s curtsy to King Olav. She does it with such expert grace. Sometimes ladies don’t quite get the balance right and look a bit wobbly. Not Princess Anne, thank very much! I can see where Queen Elizabeth cried when her ship was decommissioned. She could travel in style with the whole family in tow without inconveniencing her host one bit. It truly was a home away from home.

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Princess Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek's Wedding Celebrations Are Underway in Norway!

The couple was joined by Crown Prince Haakon and other royals on a pre-wedding boat trip

Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.

Princess Märtha Louise and Shaman Durek Verrett 's wedding festivities have kicked off in Norway.

On Aug. 29, celebrations for the upcoming nuptials of King Harald and Queen Sonja 's daughter to the "6th generation shaman" from California, whose connections include celebrities like Nina Dobrev and Gwyneth Paltrow, kicked off. Princess Märtha Louise, 52, and Durek, 49, are getting married at Hotel Union in Geiranger on Saturday, Aug. 31, and they got the party started on Thursday in the coastal town of Alesund.

Hello! magazine is exclusively covering the nuptials, and the outlet previously announced that the first pre-wedding event would be a welcome party with a "'sexy and cool' dress code" in the garden of Hotel 1904.

The fun continued on Aug. 30 when guests boarded a boat for a trip along the Geiranger Fjord, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Photos showed the bride and groom arriving for the outing, with Märtha Louise sporting a black leather ensemble with a colorful shirt and boots while Durek opted for a brown outfit and sunglasses.

Princess Märtha Louise's younger brother Crown Prince Haakon , his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit , their 20-year-old daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra and their 18-year-old son Prince Sverre Magnus also joined the pre-wedding celebration.

Märtha Louise's family wasn't the only royal presence on the guest list. Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands also joined the couple for day two of their wedding festivities.

Hello! said that a "Latin American-themed pre-wedding party" would be held at Hotel Union that Friday.

"We are incredibly happy to be able to celebrate our love in Geiranger's beautiful surroundings," Märtha Louise wrote on Instagram last year. "It means a lot to us to gather our loved ones in a place so rich in history and intense nature experiences. Geiranged is the perfect place to embrace our love."

The main event, the Aug. 31 wedding ceremony, will also happen at the historic hotel, with a wedding breakfast and reception to follow. Durek previously revealed they would be married by Parish Priest Margit Lovise Holte with Reverend Michael Beckwith delivering a greeting.

The wedding will have about 350 in attendance, and of her big day, Märtha Louise told Hello! magazine, "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."

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

Per Ole Hagen/Getty

On Aug. 26, the Royal House of Norway confirmed which family members would attend the nuptials. The court said that King Harald and Queen Sonja, both 87, would attend the wedding in Geiranger. The announcement added that Crown Prince Haakon would attend the event with his wife and children, as would King Harald's sister, Princess Astrid.

Marius Borg Høiby , Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, was not mentioned. Marius, 27, was reportedly arrested in Oslo on Aug. 4 in alleged connection to an incident involving a woman in her 20s and has since apologized in a statement to the Norwegian Broadcasting Company (NRK).

"The royal family is looking forward to being guests at Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett's wedding," the statement said, adding that "the royal ship Norway will be used as accommodation during the wedding," apparently referring to the Royal Yacht . The official ship is owned by the King, typically used from May through September and maintained by the Royal Norwegian Navy.

It was previously reported that some Norwegian royals wouldn't join some of the wedding pictures due to exclusive arrangements with Hello! and Netflix that Princess Märtha Louise and Durek allegedly arranged. The Royal House of Norway's head of communications, Guri Varpe, previously told the NRK that the royals would refrain from being photographed and filmed by the two outlets when other press won't have access.

The wedding will be Princess Märtha Louise's second marriage. She was previously married to late author and playwright Ari Behn, with whom she shares daughters Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19, and Emma Tallulah, 15. 

The former couple wed in 2002 and announced their split in 2016, with their divorce finalized the following year. In 2019, Behn died by suicide at age 47. Following her ex's death, Märtha Louise spoke about the challenges of navigating depression.

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Princess Märtha Louise and Durek took their relationship public in May 2019 and announced their engagement in June 2022, revealing in September 2023 that they would marry in Geiranger the following August.

Related Articles

The Royal Residences

The Royal Palace in Oslo is the most important of the King’s residences, and most official functions take place here. However there are a number of other Royal residences in other parts of the country. Stiftsgården in Trondheim, Gamlehaugen in Bergen, Leedal in Stavanger and Bygdø Royal Farm outside Oslo are owned by the state but used by the Royal Family when visiting those parts of the country. The publicly owned residences are also museums and are open to the public.

The Royal Family owns a number of private properties such as Skaugum Estate in Asker, where the Crown Prince and Crown Princess live, the Royal Mountain Chalet in Sikkilsdalen, the Royal Lodge at Voksenkollen, outside Oslo, and the summer holiday retreat Mågerø in Tjøme, outside Tønsberg. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess also owns a holiday retreat in Uvdal and at Flatholmen outside Risør.

The Royal Yacht Norge transports the King and other members of the Royal Family on many of their journeys in Norway and abroad.

Palace Tours

The Royal Palace and the summer palace Oscarshall are open to the public during the summer season.

The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace was completed in 1849, and King Oscar I was the first king to reside there. It also houses the offices of the Royal Family and most of the Royal Court.

Oscarshall Summer Palace

Oscarshall was built by King Oscar I in the years 1847-1852. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in Norway, and of the National Romantic style so popular during the period.

Bygdø Royal Farm

Bygdø Royal Farm is situated on the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo. It has been owned or used by Norwegian monarchs almost continuously since 1305.

Skaugum Estate

Skaugum Estate is owned by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. The farm has a history dating back to the Middle Ages.

The Royal Lodge

The Royal Lodge - Kongsseteren - was a coronation gift from The Norwegian people to King Haakon and Queen Maud in 1906.

The Royal Mountain Chalet

The Royal Mountain Chalet "Prinsehytta" is located in the mountains of Jotunheimen and was a gift designed to better Norwegian-Swedish relations in 1902.

Mågerø is the King’s and Queen’s private holiday retreat, and is situated on a headland in Tjøme in southern Norway.

Stiftsgården

Stiftsgården is the King’s official residence in Trondheim.It was built in the 18th century and is one of the largest wooden buildings in Scandinavia.

Gamlehaugen

Gamlehaugen is the King’s official residence in Bergen. Originally, Gamlehaugen belonged to Christian Michelsen, prime minister of 1905.

Ledaal is the King’s official residence in Stavanger. It was the first house in Stavanger to be built of brick.

The Royal Yacht Norge

The Norge is one of the world’s two remaining royal yachts. It was a gift from the Norwegian people to King Haakon on his 75th birthday.

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It’s no secret that the royal yacht Norge has been spotted in Northern Norway this week, nor that the crown prince’s father, King Harald V (age 86), has been fishing for wild salmon in the Alta River. The monarch even caught a salmon that weighed over 10 kilos (22 lbs), reports news bureau NTB.

Then came some new family photos   (external link to the Royal Palace’s own website) showing Crown Prince Haakon and his family posing along the Neiden River in Sør-Varanger, not far from Alta. The royal yacht could be glimpsed in the background of the photos that featured a more relaxed crown prince with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, their daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra (heir to the throne after Haakon) and their son, Prince Sverre Magnus.

Both Crown Prince Haakon and his wife are turning 50 this summer, but there won’t be any official celebration until August 25, which is also their wedding anniversary. Then they’ve invited guests to what’s been billed as a “backyard party” at the palace in Oslo.

In the meantime it was an official flag day in Norway to mark the occasion, along with a 21-gun salute at noon, and there’s also been a splash of media coverage, with state broadcaster NRK running a documentary on the crown prince’s life so far and newspaper Aftenposten’s A-magasinet  running a lengthy story on the prince extending over 34 pages. In it he admits to a “50-year crisis” of sorts.

“I’m afraid of giving up any thought of having fun and playing,” Crown Prince Haakon told A-magasinet . “For example, when people our age get together, we don’t listen to music anymore. I think that’s stupid.”

He was only 13 when his own father turned 50, and remembers thinking that was quite old. Now it’s his turn, “but there are good things about being 50,” he added. “I think I’ve entered a phase in which I can reflect more over how life has been until now, and how it will be. Maybe be a bit more relaxed.”

That’s unlikely when one becomes head of state, but he’s already been taking on more and more of this father’s duties, especially when the king has been sick and in hospital during the past few years. Crown Prince Haakon is also known for his own public projects, like hiking the route to Sweden that Norwegian refugees took when fleeing Nazi German invaders during World War II, making a point of meeting youngsters of all social classes and ethnicity around the country, promoting new business innovation and especially inclusion of minorities in Norwegian society.

“There must be room in Norway to be who you are,” Haakon told A-magasinet . “The people who live here in Norway must feel included in a common project. I like that thought.” His father and grandfather have believed much the same, with the late King Olav referring to immigrants as “our new fellow citizens” and his father King Harald making a famous speech a few years ago about how Norwegians can be from various regions around the country but also from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Poland, representing a wide range of ethnic and gender diversity.

Asked what he would have like to do if he hadn’t been born into the royal family, destined to become Norway monarch, Haakon said he wasn’t sure, but “maybe a journalist, writing about international politics.” He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics, with an emphasis on international trade and Africa.

He has also worked at the UN, followed the internship program for budding diplomats at the Foreign Ministry and carries the rank of general in the Army, admiral in the Navy and general in the Air Force.

He admits that he struggled a bit with his future role as king, and spoke a lot about it with his parents, but claims he takes on the role as a royal willingly. “I can’t be forced into this,” he told A-magasinet.  “Yes, it’s in the constitution that it’s the law, but no one would fine me or put me in prison if I refused to do this. There’s a choice there, both for me and for Ingrid (his daughter).”

Meanwhile, he can be assured that Norwegians still overwhelmingly support the monarchy, despite the paradox of the inherited privilege it entails in a country otherwise built on a foundation of equality among all. It’s a jarring, even absurd, exception to the rule in Norway, but Norwegians voted in favour of a constitutional monarchy in 1905 and still adhere to it.

A few royal scandals have tarnished the monarchy over the years, such as when large amounts of taxpayer money were spent on a major refurbishment of the Royal Palace, when his father married a commoner (Sonja Haraldsen), when the crown prince himself married a single mother known for partying, and, most recently, when his sister has exploited her royal title for business gains , not least when her business has involved controversial health cures and her own personal partnership with an African-American shaman who has claimed the Norwegian people don’t want to see a black man in the royal family. He also tried selling a medallion for USD 2,000 that he claimed helped him when he was infected with the Corona virus.

That clearly upset the royal couple and palace staff. After King Harald blamed a “cultural collision” and said he understood negative public reaction to all the controversy around his daughter Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett, the family launched a “process” that resulted in the princess retaining her title but relinquishing all royal duties .

“I don’t think we’re immune to how people view us,” Haakon told A-magasinet . “At the same time, I think people understand what the king, queen, the crown princess and I stand for, and what are others’ activities. We are responsible for how we manage our roles.”

He insists he doesn’t take it personally when some Norwegians criticize the monarchy as an institution. “No, I really don’t,” he said. “It’s part of a democratic society to believe we should have another system.” Nor did it bother him when newspapers Dagbladet and Dagens Næringsliv (DN)  published investigative pieces about how the royals spent money from the palace budget for their own personal homes or holiday homes: “It’s the press’ job to monitor how society’s money is spent. They followed the flow of funds and I think that’s fine. We learned a lot from that.”

His role is supposed to be non-political, but it’s easy to see what issues he’s most concerned about by seeing what he agrees to take part in. That’s often programs involving climate challenges, food shortages, anti-bullying and equality issues, melting ice and cleaner seas. He was among the first in Norway to get an electric car, way back when only small, short-distance vehicles were on the market.

In his free time, he’s an active skier and surfer who also loves music. On NRK’s documentary about him Thursday, he could quickly say who his favourites are, also in the hip-hop genre. He and his wife actually met at a music festival in her home town of Kristiansand back in the 1990s. And when it comes to 50th birthday celebrations, he said that if it was entirely up to him, he’d prefer inviting just a few friends and family to go surfing somewhere.

NewsinEnglish.no/ Nina Berglund

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Controversial royals deleted from Norwegian monarchy's website

By Natalie Oliveri | 3 days ago

Sweeping changes have been made to the website belonging to Norway's monarchy after a number of scandals hit the royal family .

Two of its most controversial figures have now been removed from the site under the category listing those who are officially part of the royal family.

The changes appeared on the site just days after King Harald's daughter Princess Märtha Louise married Shaman Durek Verrett .

READ MORE: Meghan refused a trademark for her new lifestyle brand

They also come one month after the arrest of Marius Borg Høiby , the son of Norway's Crown Princess, for the alleged assault of his girlfriend.

On the page detailing the who's who of the monarchy, the website previously had two categories under the heading The Royal Family: one listing those who are part of 'The Royal House of Norway' and those who are included as extended members of the 'Royal Family'.

READ MORE: Prince Harry stayed at Diana's family home during recent UK visit

Now, the site has been updated with the removal of the latter category, meaning Princess Märtha Louise's name, those of her three daughters, and that of Høiby, have been deleted. So, too, has the Crown Prince couple's youngest son, Prince Sverre Magnus, and Princess Astrid who is the King's sister.

The new site appears to reflect a slimmed-down monarchy.

Under the headline 'The Royal House of Norway', the members are listed as: King Harald and Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who is heir after her father.

The page previously featured a photograph showing the now-deleted royals standing on the balcony of the palace celebrating the King's Silver Jubilee in June 2016.

READ MORE: Royal nanny's innocent act of betrayal saw her cut off forever

The new image shows just the King and Queen, the Crown Prince couple and their daughter taken in May on Norway's National Day.

Princess Märtha Louise's biography, and photo, has also been removed from the main page and instead can now be found under the category 'other royals'.

The names of her three daughters – from her previous marriage to Ari Behn – are included in her biography page, as is a reference to her new husband Verrett following their wedding on Saturday .

It also includes a disclaimer: "Princess Märtha Louise does not represent the Royal House of Norway in an official capacity".

Verrett was due to become part of Norway's royal family upon his wedding to Princess Märtha Louise, something which appears to have been halted, officially at least as he is mentioned only within his wife's biography.

There have been growing calls for Princess Märtha Louise to be stripped of her 'princess' title after numerous breaches of an agreement made in 2019 between her and the King not to use it in relation to her commercial endeavours.

Norwegian historian and author Trond Norén Isaksen has pointed to a decline in support for the monarchy as being connected to Märtha Louise's actions.

In 2017, support for the monarchy was at 81 per cent and in 2022 it was sitting at 78 per cent. In May this year, support fell to 73 per cent.

A poll by Norstat two weeks ago showed overall support for the royal family had dropped again, sitting at 68 per cent.

It found 19 per cent of responders want a republic, while 14 per cent are undecided. The same poll revealed 36 per cent have taken a more negative view of the royal house over the past year, citing Princess Märtha Louise and Verrett and the Høiby case as the reasons.

Princess Märtha Louise and Verrett's wedding also caused a stir, particularly among Norwegian media, as the couple sold the rights to British tabloid Hello! and Netflix, with a documentary said to be in the works.

As a result, the royal family issued a statement saying the King and Queen, and Crown Prince couple, would not be photographed or filmed by the two organisations that have signed exclusive rights because it denied other outlets fair access.

The other major change to the monarchy's website overnight is the removal of Høiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship.

On Sunday August 4, he became the first member of Norway's royal family to be charged with a crime.

The 27-year-old is accused of causing bodily harm and damaging property during an alleged attack on his girlfriend inside her Oslo apartment.

He later admitted to the allegations and apologised to the royal family in a statement.

When his mother married into the monarchy in 2001, Høiby was officially recognised as a member of the royal family by King Harald but never received a royal title.

Now, he is mentioned on its website just once within his mother's biography.

The palace has since issued a statement about why the changes were made to the website.

They "have been made to clarify who represents the royal house, as well as who the other royals are" communications manager Guri Varpe told NRK .

"This is in line with the current definitions of the royal house and its members."

She added: "We have recognised a need to clarify roles".

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A Fairy Tale for Netflix: A Norwegian Princess Weds an American Shaman

OSLO, Norway — There was no castle, nor were there throngs of exuberant crowds to celebrate this royal wedding. Nonetheless, the nuptials Saturday of a Norwegian princess and an American self-described shaman attracted public fascination at home and a Netflix deal abroad.

The royal involved — Princess Martha Louise, daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway — wed American Durek Verrett after years of often mocking public scrutiny, largely because of Verrett’s alternative views on health and wellness. The ceremony, a private affair in the remote, picturesque Norwegian village of Geiranger, attracted a gaggle of reporters and a modest crowd of curious residents.

The couple sailed into Geiranger, nestled in the majestic Geirangerfjord, a world heritage site, on the royal yacht Friday, along with members of the royal family, including Harald and Sonja, according to an official statement.

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The celebrations Saturday began with brunch, with the option of a spa treatment available for all guests, according to a copy of the program seen by The New York Times. The day’s schedule also included an afternoon tea, early evening cocktails and a gala dinner. At 10:50 p.m., “the party begins,” the program said, promising late night snacks at 1 a.m.

The ceremony itself was held in a marquee on a farm whose meadows overlook the fjords. The couple, stung by the years of critical news coverage, had tried — and failed — to keep the location a secret. The three-day event was privately financed, the royal family said, but that did not stop reporters from speculating about the cost of security arrangements for those attending.

During the couple’s two-year engagement, the media in Norway often made fun of Verrett’s beliefs in alternative healing — he was even lampooned in an episode of an animated television show. The negative coverage has not, however, deterred the couple from planning to share their wedding with the world.

Last week, Netflix announced that it was producing a documentary about the couple’s love story. The production, as yet untitled, was to be led by Rebecca Chaiklin, who was behind the pandemic-era streaming hit “Tiger King.” To make the show, a crew followed Martha Louise and Verrett for more than a year as they prepared for their wedding.

The couple also sold their wedding pictures to British tabloid Hello! in an exclusive deal that saw them pose in matching outfits to greet their guests and dance at a salsa party Friday night. Apart from the financial rewards for the couple, the deals were also viewed as an attempt to shift the often negative portrayal of their relationship.

That might be a tall order. “I can’t imagine anything less interesting than that wedding,” Mads Hansen, a Norwegian television personality, told a local broadcaster. “The best thing for everyone would have been if no one mentioned it, and it quietly passed by. Ironically, I’m saying this in an interview, which contributes to a story that also adds to this coverage.”

On television and online, the wedding was the story of the day in Norway, despite the attempts to keep proceedings low key. The Norwegian public has become increasingly critical of the country’s monarchy, even if 87-year-old Harald remains popular.

A poll in August by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK showed that 40% of respondents had an increasingly negative view of the royal family, with some pointing to the princess’ relationship with Verrett as one of the reasons. Martha Louise is fourth in line to the throne.

The couple, who met in 2019, have leaned into a brand of alternative healing that has drawn criticism from some medical experts who deride it as pseudoscience, even as it has attracted tens of thousands of online devotees. Verrett, who says he is a sixth-generation shaman, counts as his clients actresses Selma Blair and Nina Dobrev, and has described Gwyneth Paltrow as “family.”

Martha Louise, who was previously married and has three daughters, has a long-documented interest in alternative treatments and celestial interactions, and has claimed an ability to communicate with angels and the dead. She once started a center where she encouraged her students to find their “inner source of truth,” and she has co-hosted a tour of healing workshops with Verrett called “The Princess and the Shaman.”

Two years ago, Martha Louise stepped away from her official responsibilities as the bad press coverage mounted. She and Verrett were “seeking to distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway,” the royal family said in a statement at the time.

Still, seeing the royal yacht glide down the fjord Friday struck a chord with Oyvind Skodje, an engineer in his 30s who lives in a town near Geiranger.

“I think it says a lot about the king and queen,” Skodje said. “They are down-to-earth and inclusive, and supportive of their children, no matter what choices they make.

c.2024 The New York Times Company

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