Princess Martha Louise of Norway sparks controversy with divisive TV interview
Princess Martha Louise of Norway has once again made headlines following a controversial TV interview in which she discussed a possible return to royal life and the death of her ex-husband.
It was announced in November last year that the 51-year-old would no longer represent the royal family – reportedly because of the views held by the Princess and her fiancé, Derek Verrett.
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Speaking on Swedish TV in a show titled Min Sanning (My Truth), Martha Louise admitted she hopes for a comeback, stating: "Yes, if I get the opportunity, I will say yes to it."
The royal claimed that she had to step back from royal life – not because of her own actions – but because of things Derek has said and the way he is perceived. Among other things, Derek came under fire for selling a medallion which he claimed helped him recover from Covid.
Princess Martha Louise - the only daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja – announced she was in a relationship with Derek, a self-styled Shaman, in May 2019. They came under fire when they organised seminars together titled The Princess and the Shaman.
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In June 2022, Martha Louise announced their engagement.
In the interview, she touched on the criticism surrounding the couple and stated: "I am probably the one in Norway who has received the most criticism of all, I think."
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She also spoke about her late ex-husband, Ari Behn. The former couple married in 2002 and went on to welcome three children together before announcing their divorce in 2017.
On Christmas Day in 2019, the accomplished author took his own life.
Martha Louise claimed that press attention harmed Ari and said he "never again received good criticism" of his work following their marriage.
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Asked whether she thought the press was responsible for his death, she controversially replied: "They said so themselves. His mental health depended a lot on him getting criticism in the media.
"But I am not saying it was anyone's fault. It is always how you handle criticism. The press took self-criticism after he died, that they were perhaps a little harsh towards him, and that he only received criticism and was actually a very nice person.
"They never said that when he was with me. Then he was just a peacock and arrogant for them."
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