The Norwegian royal family celebrated the wedding of Princess Märtha Louise and her new husband Durek Verrett on Saturday and the wedding party shared a touching photo from their big day.
The picture shows the bride and groom surrounded by the Norwegian royal family as well as their wedding party and Märtha Louise’s three daughters – Maud, Leah and Emma. Also in the photo were other royal guests, including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, her husband Prince Daniel, and her brother Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia.
In the photograph, Märtha Louise , 52, dazzled in her Tina Steffenakk Hermansen wedding dress, complete with a 3.5 metre-long train, while Californian shaman, Durek, looked dapper dressed in a black tuxedo and trousers with a gold cummerbund and tie knot, in a nod to 1700s court dress.
© Maja MoanTwo additional images were released earlier in the day as part of HELLO! and HOLA!’s exclusive coverage. One breathtaking snapshot showed the couple after exchanging vows in front of their 350 guests. A second image showed the bride gazing into her groom’s eyes with the majestic backdrop of the fjords behind them.
The pair enjoyed a three-day wedding extravaganza featuring a boat trip along the Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger village and a Latin American-themed pre-wedding party at Hotel Union.
Ahead of their nuptials, Martha, the daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, said: “I had decided not to get married again. But after meeting Durek in 2018, I changed my mind.
“For me, getting married will seal the closeness between us. It’s a way of elevating the energy and entering into a new phase of our relationship.”
Meanwhile, Durek, 49, described marriage as “a very spiritual thing” before adding: “It’s letting the world know this is the person I love in a declaration before family, friends and God.”
Durek has been warmly welcomed by Martha’s family. Musing on his decision to seek permission from her parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, Durek told HELLO!: “I have old school views on courtship, and asking for Martha’s hand in marriage was about respect.
© Getty“The King and Queen asked me questions about myself and the future, and went quiet for a bit. I was sweating as I waited for their response – and then they turned to me and said they’d love to have me as part of the family.”
To see the full exclusive coverage of Martha Louise and Durek’s wedding, pick up the new issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday.
To read the full exclusive interview with Martha Louise and Durek, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK now. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
The HELLO! Royal Club special offer
HELLO!’s biggest royal fans over at The HELLO! Royal Club are set to receive exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the wedding of the year this Saturday, including that most intimate of wedding staples: the first dance. Don’t want to miss out on Princess Martha Louise’s big day? Then why not take advantage of our special offer: join the club before this Sunday and get a celebratory 20% off annual membership.
In addition to this exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, you will open up a slew of other benefits including:
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There’s ‘Norway’ you will want to miss out…
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