Yahoo News Princess Martha Louise of Norway Celebrates Fiancé Durek's Birthday After Giving Up Royal Role
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Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is celebrating her fiancé Shaman Durek's birthday.
On Thursday, the 51-year-old royal wished Durek a happy birthday with a personal message on Instagram. Her tribute comes amid her recent announcement that she has stepped away from her royal role.
"Happy Birthday, my amazing fiancée. Our life has been a true adventure since we met," she began, posting a smiling selfie with her partner, who turned 48.
"Let us continue on our path together; growing, expanding, daring more. You inspire me every day to be the best version of myself," she continued. "I love you with all my heart and soul. Looking forward to many more trips around the sun with you, embracing love."
Märtha Louise and Durek, a Los Angeles-based "spiritual guide and gifted healer" with a loyal celebrity fan base, took their relationship public in May 2019. At the time, the Norwegian royal described Durek as her "twin flame" and pledged to love him for a lifetime — a promise made official when they got engaged this June.
Princess Martha Louise/Instagram
RELATED: Princess Martha Louise of Norway Relinquishes Her Royal Duties to Pursue Other Interests
Though the couple has yet to publicize their wedding date, it could be happening soon. Last Tuesday, the Royal House of Norway announced that Märtha Louise had relinquished the royal role she inherited at birth. The palace said the decision was made so that the princess, who retains her appellation, can more freely pursue other interests without the restrictions of being affiliated with the crown.
"Princess Märtha Louise wishes to differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway. The Princess has therefore decided, in consultation with His Majesty The King and other close family members, that she will not carry out official duties for the Royal House at the present time," courtiers said in a statement.
"The Princess is patron of various organisations, and today she informed them that she is relinquishing her patronage role, which has provided the framework for her official duties. The Princess is taking this step to create a clearer dividing line between her business activities and her role as a member of the Royal Family. The organisations previously under her patronage will be offered the patronage of other members of the Royal Family," it continued.
LISE AASERUD/AFP via Getty Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Martha Louise, King Harald and Queen Sonja
The release specified that Märtha Louise and Durek "are seeking to distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway," and that she will not use her princess title or reference other members of the royal family on social media, in media work or for other commercial purposes. An exception has been made for Märtha Louise's @PrincessMarthaLouise handle on Instagram, and her father King Harald V is allowing her to keep her princess title.
"The King and Queen wish to thank Princess Märtha Louise for the important work she has carried out in her official capacity for several decades. She has performed her duties with warmth, care and deep commitment," the statement said.
Märtha Louise's mother Queen Sonja addressed the press in a sit-down with her husband on the day the news broke. The Queen, 85, said that Americans fail to grasp the gravity of the monarchy's significance, apparently alluding to the influence of her daughter's American fiancé amid the decision. However, Sonja stressed that Durek is a "great guy" and part of the family.
TERJE PEDERSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty
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"Americans have no idea what a kingdom is. So it's no wonder he doesn't realize," Sonja said, Hello! reported. "Americans don't understand the bearing of this here. They don't. He thought he could do whatever he wanted without compromising us at all," she continued, adding that Princess Märtha Louise's step back behooves everyone's best interests.
"Even if we disagree on things, we are happy with each other," Queen Sonja said. "I have the feeling that the family is now very close to each other in a new, nice way," she continued, praising Durek as a "great guy" who is "very fun to be with."
In similar sentiments, King Harald, 85, agreed he was "sorry that the princess will no longer represent the royal house" and that "we agree to disagree," the Associated Press reported.
"We have looked at this process from all sides," Queen Sonja stressed. "This has been a unanimous decision."
HAKON MOSVOLD LARSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty
While Sonja and Durek will continue to attend family functions like birthdays and sporting events, she is no longer a crown-related patronages of various organizations. The shakeup does not affect the Norwegian line of succession, however.
Though Märtha Louise is two years older than her brother Crown Prince Haakon, he was always destined to inherit the throne. Absolute primogeniture (the right to rule regardless of gender) was not constitutionally adopted in Norway until 1990, according to the Royal House. King Harald's children's places in the line of succession remain dictated by the male-preference primogeniture previously enforced, and the precedent was set only for those born after 1990.
Haakon is followed in the line of succession by his daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 18, and son Prince Sverre Magnus, 16, whom he shares with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
