Guests descended on Union Hotel in Geirangerfjord to celebrate Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s marriage to self-professed shaman fiancé Durek Verrett today – and there were some notable absences.
The couple’s relationship has been rife with controversies, however Märtha Louise, 52, remains close with her family, and tensions have been put aside for the lavish celebrations.
The bride’s wedding look was kept strictly under wraps as security held up sheets to curb any potential peeps of her dress as she entered the venue – but guests were flaunting their garb.
Her parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja as well as her brother Crown Prince Haakon and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their children Ingrid Alexandra, 20 and Sverre Magnus, 18 posed for a family snap aboard the royal yacht before the ceremony.
Martha’s three daughters, Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19 and Emma Tallulah, 15, are three of the seven bridesmaids and looked stunning in coordinating champagne gowns as they waited for their mother to arrive at the ceremony with a young flower girl.
The King and Prince Haakon sported dapper suits while the Queen, Princess Mette-Marit, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus were all smiles as they donned traditional Norwegian dress called Bunads.
They were joined by their two children Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20 and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18 who also proudly wore their traditional outfits.
Ingrid Alexandra’s dress is a reconstructed 1800-1850s version and Sverre Magnus’s is called a gråtrøyebunad. Both were gifts from the King and Queen and the Queen has embroidered parts of them.
Princess Astrid, 91, beamed as she was escorted into the event in a wheelchair also wearing a bunad.
The red carpet saw a slew of fashionable guests showing off their stylish gowns and suits as they entered the ceremony and waved to fans.
Senegalese-American singer-songwriter Marieme was glowing in a sparkling orange gown and a striking blue wig.
Norwegian painter, producer and TV personality Harald Austad and body positivity model Margie Ashcroft, known as Margie Plus, turned heads in matching quirky purple ensembles.
Martha Louise’s very close friend Anne-Kari Bøhaugen is said to be the maid of honour.
Along with her many pursuits, Martha is the owner of clothing brand, Hest, which she started with Anne-Kari Bøhaugen and another pal Monica Sundt Utne.
Anne-Kari and Martha Louise have been friends for a number of years, having stood beside one another professionally and personally, with the former royal reportedly offering support when Anne-Kari’s husband suddenly died in 2019.
Esben Oulie Johannessen tragically died in 2019 following a battle with an aggressive form of cancer just months before Martha Louise faced tragedy herself after losing her husband Ari Behn to suicide.
Among the 350-person guest list were members of the Swedish royal family who have a close relationship with the Norwegian monarchs.
Crown Princess Victoria, who is Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s godmother, stepped out alongside her husband Prince Daniel.
They were joined by Victoria’s brother Prince Carl Phillip and his wife princess Sofia in an ombre orange and white ensemble.
Martha celebrated both couples wedding’s attending Victoria and Daniel’s 2010 nuptials and Carl Phillip and Sofia’s in 2015.
The royal siblings’ younger sister Princess Madeleine and her husband, Christopher O’Neill appeared to be absent from the celebrations.
Polish actress Kasia Wolejnio also scored an invite and has been flooding her Instagram account with behind-the-scenes videos of the three-day event.
The 51-year-old became friends with Durek after meeting him through hypnotherapist and life coach Stephen Anthony Clark who is also in attendance.
She has been offering fans glimpses into the day’s glamour showing her extravagant breakfast and spa session at the Hotel Union this morning.
Kasia arrived on the red carpet in a floor-length deep-purple lace strapless dress.
She was interviewed by the press and waved to the dozens of onlookers holding Norwegian flags as they watch to see who steps out onto the red carpet.
On Friday, Kasia showed not only the stunning views on Martha Louise and Durek’s boat trip from Alesund to Geiranger but intriguing activities.
In one video on her Story, a woman can be seen presenting her with an animal pelt.
Cecilia Foss is a Norwegian actress, writer, model, TV host and friend of the newlyweds and this morning shared a stunning selfie as she got ready for the royal wedding.
She looked ever-so-chic in a flowing floral maxi skirt and sparkling silver top at Martha and Durek’s pre-wedding salsa party last night.
Other notable guests include fashion designer Charles Borg and American actor Matthew Dennis Lewis who starred in the hit Netflix show, The Queen’s Gambit.
Charles Borg is a Maltese Fashion Designer and Couture maker, who co owns his own label with his partner, Ron van Maarschalkerweerd Borg, with whom he has been with for 30 years.
Their luxury brand, Charles and Ron, describes itself as a ‘contemporary Maltese lifestyle brand’ which is now one of the most popular fashion retailers in the country of Malta.
Items from the brand have previously been worn by a number of celebrities including Ariane Grande, Alessandra Ambrosio, Carrie Underwood, Paula Abdul and Jessie J.
Alongside his work as an actor, Matthew has also worked as a fitness and swimwear model and previously worked in a tanning salon.
Taking to Instagram, the actor shared a picture after touching down in Norway. He wrote: ‘We’ve made it to Ålesund and we are all so excited for the week’s festivities to celebrate’ as he joined some of the other guests including Derek Jameson and Frank Elaridi.
King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark received an invite from Martha Louise and Durek but declined.
The Court of Denmark stated that none of the Danish royals will be attending with Queen Mary skipping the event to appear at a Copenhagen University summit.
Prince Haakon’s stepson Marius Borg Høiby was missing from the event as he is facing preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage.
The 27-year-old was briefly detained when officers responded to a disturbance in downtown Oslo on Sunday.
Marius is the son of Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and has no royal title or official duties.
He is said to have deserted plans to attend the nuptials of Martha Louise and Shaman Durek Verrett in favour of attending the wedding of a billionaire’s son in Italy.
However, it seems like Marius might be looking at an uneventful weekend after he was reportedly uninvited from the celebrity wedding when guests apparently threatened to back out if he came.
After discovering Marius had travelled to Tuscany to attend the event, several guests threatened to pull out for fear of unwanted media attention, according to Norwegian tabloid Se Og Hør.