- Princess Märtha Louise told Insider that people asked her boyfriend why he was dating a “white devil” and sent him death threats because of their relationship.
- Märtha Louise, who is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, first spoke about the racism her partner Shaman Durek Verrett had faced in an Instagram post back in June.
- The princess spoke to Insider about why she plans to continue speaking about racism and white privilege, despite the criticism she has received from the press for doing so.
- Meet other royals from around the world by reading more of Insider’s Royally Told profiles.
Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise opened up about the death threats she and her boyfriend Durek Verrett faced in a candid Instagram post back in June.
At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, the princess — who is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne — became one of the few European royals to publicly shed light on her own experiences with racism, and what it meant for her to be in an interracial relationship.
Five months later, Märtha Louise spoke to Insider about the response she received to the now-famous Instagram post.
Märtha Louise says people have asked her boyfriend why he is with ‘the white devil’
“I never thought of myself as racist before I got together with Durek, and suddenly to expand that vision and acknowledge that I actually have white privilege — it was such an eye-opener for me,” Märtha Louise told Insider. “I also see through his eyes that racism isn’t just the obvious headlines, it’s the subtle energies. It’s how people look at him … even in elevators or on the street, they clasp their handbags closer.”
She added: “It’s from both sides, you know. He also gets death threats from people saying, ‘Why are you with the white devil?’ and all that.”
Märtha Louise first spoke about the racism they had been subjected to in June, writing on Instagram that they had “been told that we shame our people and families for choosing each other.”
In the post, the princess said “people at high places” had refused to shake Verrett’s hand because he is Black and that the press has presented him “as a liar, being violent, and a threat to my family and myself.”
Märtha Louise told Insider that the Norwegian press wasn’t supportive of the Instagram post, saying they “went very much against it.”
“In Norway, it’s very in your face, it’s on the TV and the radio, and the papers. It’s a challenge, but I’m used to it by now,” she said.
The princess is determined to keep speaking about the subject — not just for Verrett, but for the Norwegian people, some of which have had to change their names in order to get a job due to racism, according to Märtha Louise.
“We have to start getting out of the 1700s and updating ourselves. We are one human race,” she said.
There could be a royal wedding on the horizon
Märtha Louise announced she was dating Verrett, an LA-based shaman, in May 2019. The couple bonded over their shared love of spirituality and embarked on a joint tour, titled “The Princess and the Shaman” last year.
The name of the tour caused controversy, as some people believed Märtha Louise shouldn’t have used her princess title to promote it. The criticism led the princess to announce she would only use the title for royal, and not commercial, purposes.
The princess told Insider she became “the happiest person to pay taxes in Norway” after denouncing her HRH title in 2002. The change allowed the royal to work as a private citizen, a move that has allowed her to pursue major business, personal, and press opportunities over the years.
One of these opportunities included a profile feature in Vanity Fair in November. In the feature, which included interviews with both Verrett and the princess, Verrett told the magazine that he plans to propose. He said he has already been given the blessing of Märtha Louise’s parents, the King and Queen of Norway.
He has talked about that for a long time, so I of course knew that. But he doesn’t know if I’ll say yes,” the princess laughed.
Märtha Louise says she’s been able to maintain her sense of humor through the years thanks to all the practice she got attending royal engagements and events.
“If we don’t have our humor where are we? I wouldn’t survive. If you’re at something serious, if you’re out officially or you’re at church, the funniest thing is when something goes wrong, don’t you think? Because you’re not allowed to laugh or have a reaction, it’s the most fun ever,” she said. “You know, I don’t know any royal who doesn’t have a good sense of humor.”
Source: Yahoo News
