Princess Martha Louise of Norway Relinquishes Her Royal Duties to Pursue Other Interests

Per Ole Hagen/Getty

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is stepping away from her royal role.

The 51-year-old daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja has renounced the royal responsibilities she inherited at birth, the Royal House of Norway announced Tuesday. The decision was made so that Märtha Louise can more freely pursue other interests without the restrictions of being affiliated with the crown, and comes ahead of her wedding to her fiancé Shaman Durek.

"Princess Märtha Louise wishes to differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway. The Princess has therefore decided, in consultation with His Majesty The King and other close family members, that she will not carry out official duties for the Royal House at the present time," the palace said in a statement.

"The Princess is patron of various organisations, and today she informed them that she is relinquishing her patronage role, which has provided the framework for her official duties. The Princess is taking this step to create a clearer dividing line between her business activities and her role as a member of the Royal Family. The organisations previously under her patronage will be offered the patronage of other members of the Royal Family," it continued.

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

RELATED: Queen Margrethe Views Stripping Grandchildren of Titles as 'Necessary Future-Proofing' of Monarchy

The release specified that Märtha Louise and Durek "are seeking to distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway," and will not use her princess title or reference other members of the royal family on social media, in media work or for other commercial purposes. An exception has been made for Märtha Louise's @PrincessMarthaLouise handle on Instagram, and her father the King is allowing her to keep her princess title.

"The King and Queen wish to thank Princess Märtha Louise for the important work she has carried out in her official capacity for several decades. She has performed her duties with warmth, care and deep commitment," the statement added.

Princess Märtha Louise confirmed the news in an Instagram video, giving a brief address in Norwegian.

In an extensive caption, she began, "In consultation with His Majesty the King and the rest of the immediate family, I have decided that, at the present time, I will not continue my official duties as patron of various organizations. Someone else in the family will take over my role. I wish the organizations the best of luck with the important work they are doing."

She confirmed that the transition process had been smooth, "where we have all embraced each other's views in a loving and respectful way," and repeated the new terms for the use of her name on social media.

As for the new adventures ahead, Märtha Louise said, "I am concerned with health and research and myself have an education in the field of health as a physiotherapist and respect school medicine. I see alternative medicine as an important supplement to school medicine."

"Hope this brings greater peace both for the Royal House in their important work and for my fiancee, Durek Verrett and me," the caption concluded.

HEIKO JUNGE/AFP via Getty

The shakeup comes amid reports that the King, 85, had been discussing the decision with his son and successor, Crown Prince Haakon, and Märtha Louise, according to Se og Hør. The former royal gave up "Her Royal Highness" styling in 2002 in order 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.

Though Martha Louise is two years older than her 49-year-old brother, he was always destined to inherit the throne. Absolute primogeniture (the right to rule regardless of gender) was not constitutionally adopted in Norway until 1990, according to the Royal House. King Harald's children's places in the line of succession remain dictated by the male-preference cognatic primogeniture previously enforced, and the precedent was set only for those born after 1990.

Haakon is followed in the line of succession by his daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 18, and son Prince Sverre Magnus, 16, whom he shares with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

Märtha Louise is mom to daughters Maud Angelica, 19, Leah Isadora, 17, and Emma Tallulah, 14, whom she shares with ex-husband Ari Behn. The couple split in 2016 after 14 years of marriage, in a divorce finalized the following year. Behn died by suicide at age 47 in 2019.

The mother of three was open about dealing with depression following her ex's death.

She found love again a few years later — In May 2019, Märtha Louise revealed that she was in a new relationship with Durek, a Los Angeles-based "spiritual guide and gifted healer" with a loyal celebrity fan base. At the time, she described Durek, 47, as her "twin flame" and pledged to love him for a lifetime — a promise made official when they got engaged in June 2022.

Babak Golkar Shaman Durek and Princess Märtha Louise

"I was very nervous because I had a lot of emotions going through me — fears and stress and wanting it to be perfect for my beloved," Durek told PEOPLE of popping the question.

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Of becoming the first modern Black man to marry into a European royal family, he added, "[It] will set a precedent for my people that we are not to be forgotten, and we deserve to be acknowledged for the greatness of who we are and where we come from. There's always been kings and queens in Africa, but unfortunately, they haven't been recognized in the world in the way that they deserve."

As for wedding plans, the couple told PEOPLE, "We have many ideas of what we want, but we want to take our time with this to make it very special for ourselves, our families, and our friends. We don't have a date in mind at the moment, but we will share it once we have decided."

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Queen Margrethe with Prince Joachim and his family

The decision comes after Queen Margrethe of Denmark announced that she was stripping four grandchildren of their royal titles, effective in 2023. 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."

"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," she 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."

Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf announced in October 2019 that the children of younger daughter Princess Madeleine (who has three children with husband) Chris O'Neill as well as 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.