Crowns in Crisis: When American Outsiders Shatter Royal Facades—A Tale of Two Unions That Rocked the Thrones
By Lady Arglwyddes Awbrey | SNN.BZ
In the meticulously curated world of Europe’s monarchies, where lineage is guarded like crown jewels, the marriages of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Prince Harry of the United Kingdom to African American entertainers have unleashed chaos that threatens royal reputations.
Märtha, the clairvoyant daughter of King Harald V, wed Durek Verrett in 2024, a self-proclaimed bisexual shaman whose unverified spiritual claims and flamboyant style clash with Norway’s reserved regal image.
Across the channel, Prince Harry, the former “spare” to the British throne, married Meghan Markle in 2018, a B-list actress whose self-crafted resume boasts expertise in cooking and fashion despite no formal credentials, and whose actions have isolated Harry from his family and friends.
Both Verrett and Markle, with their controversial, largely uncorroborated backgrounds, have sparked public outrage and challenged the sanctity of the thrones they’ve joined.
This article examines the damage each has inflicted on the crowns of Norway and the UK, charts their disruptive steps, compares their impacts, and predicts the longevity of these unions.
Damage to the Norwegian Crown: Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett
Princess Märtha Louise, fourth in line to Norway’s throne, has long courted controversy with her angel-card readings and spiritual ventures. Her 2024 marriage to Durek Verrett, a Californian who claims to be a sixth-generation shaman, escalated this into a public relations crisis. Verrett’s resume—$1,500-an-hour healing sessions for celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, claims that cancer is a “choice” of negative thinking The Guardian, 2024, and a past relationship with a male massage therapist (2007-2015)—lacks third-party verification.
His shamanic credentials, based on self-proclaimed spiritual insight rather than recognized training, have drawn accusations of quackery and cultural appropriation for using Indigenous-inspired “shamanic keys” BBC News, 2024. His flamboyant aesthetic—caftans, sharp eyeliner, and a RuPaul-esque flair—overshadows Märtha’s understated knits, making her seem dowdy beside his Met Gala-worthy presence Vogue Scandinavia, 2024.
The fallout has been notable but contained. Märtha stepped back from official duties in 2023 to focus on her “love story,” retaining her title but barred from using it commercially, impacting their joint ventures like their angel school and healing medallions Reuters, 2023. Public support for the Norwegian monarchy dipped to 62% in 2024, per polls, worsened by racist backlash against Verrett (noted by historian Trond Noren Isaksen) NRK, 2024 and unrelated scandals, such as Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son’s assault arrest The Local Norway, 2024. Verrett’s presence fractures Norway’s image of Nordic restraint, introducing a garish, New Age vibe that alienates traditionalists but captivates a progressive niche. The damage is aesthetic and reputational, denting the monarchy’s gravitas but not its structural stability, given Märtha’s peripheral role.
Damage to the British Crown: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry, once a charismatic royal, saw his 2018 marriage to Meghan Markle, a biracial actress known for Suits, shift from a modernizing triumph to a royal disaster. Meghan’s resume, largely self-authored, claims expertise in lifestyle fields—cooking, style, fashion—via her defunct blog, The Tig, despite no formal training or notable success Forbes, 2024.
Her marriage has isolated Harry from his family and friends, with reports detailing estrangement from Prince William and former army mates Tatler, 2021. The couple’s 2020 exit from senior royal duties (“Megxit”) BBC News, 2020, followed by exposés—an Oprah interview (2021) CBS News, 2021, Netflix docuseries (2022) Netflix, 2022, and Harry’s memoir Spare (2023) The Guardian, 2023—accused the Windsors of racism, neglect, and dysfunction, claims largely unsubstantiated by third parties.
The impact on the British crown is profound. UK polls showed monarchy approval dropping to 55% in 2022-2023, with Meghan’s favorability at 60% negative YouGov, 2023. The Sussexes’ public grievances shattered the Windsors’ image of unity and duty, exposing rifts and fueling global debates about the monarchy’s relevance The Times, 2023. Meghan’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, launched in 2024 with little traction Vogue, 2024, reinforcing perceptions of opportunism. The damage is structural, undermining the monarchy’s moral authority and global prestige.
Timeline of Damaging Steps
| Year | Norway: Märtha Louise & Durek Verrett | UK: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle |
| 2018 | Märtha meets Verrett; relationship draws scrutiny for his shamanic claims The Guardian, 2019. | Harry marries Meghan; marriage initially boosts monarchy’s modern image BBC News, 2018. |
| 2020 | Verrett’s claims (e.g., cancer as a “choice”) spark criticism The Guardian, 2020. | Megxit: Harry and Meghan step back, citing media pressure BBC News, 2020. |
| 2021 | Märtha and Verrett’s spiritual ventures raise commercial concerns Aftenposten, 2021. | Oprah interview alleges racism CBS News, 2021. |
| 2022 | Märtha steps back from duties Reuters, 2022. | Netflix docuseries details grievances Netflix, 2022. |
| 2023 | Racist backlash against Verrett; monarchy support dips to 62% NRK, 2023. | Spare accuses family of neglect The Guardian, 2023. |
| 2024 | Marriage in Georgia with influencers; Verrett’s style overshadows decorum Vogue Scandinavia, 2024. | Meghan’s brand flops; isolation persists Vogue, 2024. |
Comparison and Assessment of Damage
Both Verrett and Markle, African American entertainers with self-crafted resumes, have challenged their monarchies, but their impacts differ. Verrett’s damage to Norway’s crown is superficial, clashing with its aesthetic of restraint through his flamboyant style and controversial claims. His and Märtha’s ventures embarrass traditionalists but don’t threaten the monarchy’s core, given her minor role and Norway’s progressive context The Local Norway, 2024. The controversy is loud but localized.
Meghan and Harry’s actions have inflicted deeper wounds on the British monarchy. Their exit and public accusations of racism and dysfunction struck at the Windsors’ heart, eroding trust and global prestige The Times, 2023. Meghan’s perceived opportunism and Harry’s isolation have turned them into symbols of rebellion, with ripple effects questioning monarchy’s relevance worldwide CNN, 2023. The UK’s monarchy, a global institution, faces greater scrutiny than Norway’s, amplifying the damage.
In the case of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, one cannot ignore that isolating a spouse from lifelong family and friends is a form of coercive control, often associated with psychopathic traits within the spectrum of domestic abuse.
Who Did the Most Damage? Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done the most damage to the British throne and global monarchic image. Their exposés exposed systemic vulnerabilities, reshaping perceptions of monarchy as outdated, unlike Verrett’s localized disruption.
Prediction on Marriage Longevity:
- Märtha and Verrett: Their shared spiritual ethos and branding suggest resilience. Likely to stay married for 5-7 years, barring financial or legal issues YouTube: Norway Royal Wedding Analysis, 2024.
- Harry and Meghan: Strain from isolation and media pressure, plus Harry’s reported homesickness Daily Mail, 2024, suggests fragility. Likely to stay married 3-5 years, unless reconciled with royals or hit by new scandals.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry inflicted the most damage to the British throne and global monarchic image, when compared with Verrett’s impact on Norway’s crown (in spite of being a Black bisexual shaman – his damage to the Norwegian crown is less severe. Märtha and Verrett may last 5-7 years; Harry and Meghan, 3-5 years.
