Crown Prince Haakon of Norway Discusses If Sister Princess Märtha Louise Will Keep Royal Title

LISE AASERUD/AFP via Getty Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Martha Louise, King Harald and Queen Sonja

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is speaking out on a "difficult" topic.

During an outing, the heir to Norway's throne was asked about the reports saying that discussions are going on about whether or not his sister, Princess Märtha Louise, will keep her royal title.

"This is a topic that I find difficult," Crown Prince Haakon said, according to Royal Central.

Märtha Louise, 51, got engaged to Shaman Durek — a Los Angeles-based "spiritual guide and gifted healer" whose celebrity fans include Gwyneth Paltrow, Nina Dobrev and James Van Der Beek — earlier this year.

RELATED: Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Shaman Durek on Their Engagement: 'Love Can Break Down the Barriers'

Prince Haakon said, "On the one hand, my sister got engaged, and I got to know Durek Verrett and think it is nice to be with him. I have been with him on many occasions. I would like him to feel welcome in our family."

"At the same time, I feel very responsible for the institution," the 49-year-old son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja continued, according to the outlet. "We have, of course, noticed that some of what has been said and done has caused quite a bit of discussion. Some of it has also been controversial. We have to talk about figuring this out, and that is what we are trying to do now that we now have this process where we are trying to find a good way forward."

"At the same time that brings us the feelings and thoughts about the different aspects. So this is going to take some more time. It is natural that if something happens that people think something about, that it creates debate. I think that is part of the living democracy that Norway is a part of," Crown Prince Haakon said.

Daniel Perez/Getty Shaman Durek and Princess Martha Louise

King Harald previously talked about the "cultural collision" with his daughter's American partner.

"I do not think it has fully sunk in yet what we mean, but we are in a process and this will eventually work itself out," the monarch said earlier this year, according to Royal Central. "We get to know each other better and better, and we will talk to him, as we do in a family. So, it is going to work out. But I don't promise that it will be resolved tomorrow. It is the culture collision we are now noticing."

Princess Märtha Louise gave up "Her Royal Highness" styling in 2002 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, Vanity Fair reported at the time, and agreed to stop using her princess title for business ventures in 2019, the Royal House of Norway said in a statement.

The discussions about Princess Märtha Louise's royal title come shortly after Queen Margrethe of Denmark announced that she was stripping four grandchildren of their royal titles, effective next year. The children of Prince Joachim, her second son, will lose their prince and princess as well as "His/Her Highness" titles and be known instead by His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat.

While Prince Joachim, his wife Princess Marie and his ex-wife Countess Alexandra said they were shocked and saddened by the decision, Queen Margrethe said the change "has been a long time coming."

Steffi Loos/Getty Queen Margrethe II

"With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look ahead. It is my duty and my desire as Queen to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in keeping with the times. Sometimes, this means that difficult decisions must be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment," the Danish Queen said in a statement. "Holding a royal title involves a number of commitments and duties that, in the future, will lie with fewer members of the royal family. This adjustment, which I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy, I want to take in my own time."

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Similarly, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf announced in October 2019 that the children of his younger daughter Princess Madeleine (who has three children with husband Chris O'Neill) as well as his son Prince Carl Philip (who has three sons with wife Princess Sofia) would no longer be official members of the royal house. They retained their titles of prince or princess, but the titles became personal and any future spouses or children will not have a right to them.