Shaman Durek Verrett ‘sat down’ with King Harald V and Queen Sonja to discuss ‘black culture’

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s fiancé, Shaman Durek Verrett, has revealed how he discussed “black culture and what I’ve been through” with his parents King Harald V and Queen Sonja.

Durek, 48, took to TikTok in a live broadcast earlier this month to comment on Prince Harry’s recent praise of the Dutch Royal House and the Norwegian Royal Family for their work to combat racism and address unconscious bias. .

The shaman, whose celebrities include Gwyneth Paltrow, Nina Dobrev and James Van Der Beek, explained how he had a “conversation with my father-in-law, King Harald, and told him about black culture and what I’ve been through.” .

“I showed him all the death threats and all the racial slurs I’ve had and so on. And you know, she was very nice of her to sit with me, and the Queen as well, and listen to everything she had to say. It was really beautiful,’ she added in the clip, according to the Norwegian newspaper. VG.

In the same video, he said he was happy the Duke of Sussex, 38, realized the work he and ‘Princess Märtha’, 51, have done to be able to talk to their family about racism.

He then recalled a conversation with his future father-in-law, saying, “So for him to be such a wise king, he sat down and said, ‘Listen, I’m going to sit down, the queen is going to sit down, the prince is going to sit down, and we want to hear all about what it’s like with you as a black man, what it was like growing up for you, what racism looks like, all the different ways racism manifests itself, and all the things you’ve dealt with.”

He also discussed the ‘progressive’ King of Norway on an Instagram Live, according to the post.

In November, King Harald spoke out against racism towards his future son-in-law, insisting: “We strongly oppose the racist attitudes Durek Verrett has been subjected to, especially on social media.”

Durek, 48, took to TikTok in a live broadcast earlier this month to comment on Prince Harry’s recent praise of the Dutch Royal House and the Norwegian Royal Family for their work to combat racism and address unconscious bias. . In the image, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja in September 2022

The King and Queen of Norway and Princess Märtha Louise pictured in July 2017 at the unveiling of the Norwegian Hiking Association’s gift for the Queen of Norway’s 80th birthday.

As part of a longer statement announcing that Märtha Louise has relinquished her official duties but will continue to retain her royal title after her engagement, the King dedicated part of the note to condemning the racism experienced by Durek.

In his statement, via royal centerKing Harald said: ‘It is a strength that the Royal Family reflects the ethnic diversity that exists in Norway.

‘It can be difficult to understand how direct or indirect, conscious or unconscious racism can be experienced by those of us who are not into it. Unfortunately, there are many in Norway today who suffer from discrimination and racism. We must work together to end this.

Announcing that his daughter will no longer represent the Royal House in any capacity, King Harald said that Princess Märtha Louise could retain her royal title.

However, he reiterated that the mother-of-three, who initially stepped back as a working royal in 2019, will not be able to wear it in future business partnerships with partner Durek.

A statement at the time read: “The Princess and her fiancé Durek Verrett will clarify the distinction between their own activities and the Royal House.”

“This means, among other things, that they must not use the title princess or refer to members of the Royal House on their own social media channels, in media productions or in connection with other commercial activity.”

As such, Durek’s social media videos in which he mentions the royal family have caused controversy online, with some of the Norwegian news outlets reporting that the shaman “broke the new rules”.

It comes amid reports that Märtha Louise allegedly delayed her wedding to Durek amid her ongoing battle with kidney disease.

The European royals announced their engagement to the Los Angeles-based “gifted healer and spiritual guide” last year.

Although the couple had not publicly announced any wedding plans, a Norwegian media outlet reported that Märtha and Durek had called off the nuptials.

According to Se og Hør, Durek is battling “serious kidney disease”, a condition he has been struggling with for almost three decades.

Speaking on his The Moments That Made Me podcast, Durek previously claimed that the condition caused him to go into cardiac arrest, but did not reveal when the incident occurred.

He said: ‘I had high blood pressure, just like my father and grandfather, but I never took it seriously. Then, it destroyed my kidneys and I went into cardiac arrest.

“It was one of the most defining moments of my life. I was dead for about four and a half minutes. And when I was revived, I suffered a brain injury. I was in a wheelchair for almost two years and required dialysis for eight years.’

According to the Norwegian publication, the shaman must enter a US center up to five times a week to undergo dialysis, a treatment that manually performs the function of the kidney by filtering waste from the body.

Femail has contacted Princess Martha and Durek Verrett for comment.