Norway's Princess Märtha Louise, married to a shaman, cannot be queen despite being older than her brother

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, the eldest daughter of the late King Harald V, will not ascend to the throne, despite being older than her brother, Haakon VIII, who has inherited the crown. This succession is governed by historical laws that prioritized male heirs.

While her brother Haakon VIII has taken on the responsibilities of the monarchy, adopting the royal motto "Everything for Norway," Märtha Louise has increasingly distanced herself from royal duties. In 2022, she relinquished her official functions to concentrate on her private ventures, which include alternative medicine and spiritual practices alongside her husband, Durek Verrett. Verrett, who describes himself as a shaman, has faced significant controversy for promoting unscientific claims.

Norway's succession laws have evolved over time. At the time of Märtha Louise's birth in 1971, the constitution favored male heirs. Although the constitution was amended in 1990 to establish absolute primogeniture, granting equal succession rights to both genders, this change was not retroactive. Consequently, Haakon VIII remained the heir, and his daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is now in line to become Norway's first female head of state since the 15th century.

Märtha Louise's public life has been marked by controversy for decades, largely due to her promotion of alternative therapies and her association with Verrett. She previously ran a school focused on connecting with angels and has been accused of leveraging her royal title for commercial gain. Her first marriage to Ari Behn, with whom she had three daughters, ended in divorce, and Behn tragically died by suicide in 2019. The princess has described herself as "clairvoyant," capable of perceiving energy in people, and credits her "guardian angel" with her personal transformation.