Princess Martha of Norway Snaps Selfies in the Hamptons with 'New Friend' Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow is making new friends — with royalty!
Princess Martha Louise of Norway, the daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, spent a summer day in the Hamptons with the Goop guru — complete with selfies.
It’s likely that the pair were introduced by Martha Louise’s American boyfriend Shaman Durek (a.k.a. Derek Verrett), a “spiritual guide and gifted healer” to the stars who counts Paltrow among his celebrity clients. (Nina Dobrev and James Van Der Beek are some other famous faces who Shaman Durek has worked with.)
Princess Martha Louise shared two photos to Instagram on Monday — a shot with Paltrow, and another featuring her boyfriend between the two women.
“Meeting amazing people that make us grow is such a gift of life, don’t you think?” the royal captioned the shot. “Meeting @gwynethpaltrow was such a gift. Your wisdom, strength, your clear vision and soft personality with a great sense of humor is so inspiring. Thank you for being who you are and for receiving us all with open arms. So looking forward to our next encounter. 💗🙏”
She also shared the hashtags #newfriends and #inspiring.
A post shared by Princess Märtha Louise (@princessmarthalouise) on Jul 15, 2019 at 12:02pm PDT
Three years after the royal divorced husband Ari Behn after 14 years of marriage, Martha Louise confirmed she was in a new relationship with Shaman Durek by sharing a series of photos on her Instagram account in May.
“When you meet your twin flame, you know. I have been lucky enough to have met mine,” she captioned the couple shots. “@shamandurek has changed my life, like he does with so many. He has made me realize that unconditional love actually exists here on this planet. He embraces all of me without question or fear. He makes me laugh more than anyone, has the most profound wisdom to share and all the bits in between from the diversity of his being.”
Princess Martha Louise continued, “I feel so happy and blessed that he is my boyfriend. Thank you my love, for including me so generously into your family. I love you from this eternity to the next.”
A post shared by Princess Märtha Louise (@princessmarthalouise) on May 12, 2019 at 12:52pm PDT
The 47-year-old royal also had a message for would-be critics: “Hold your horses.”
“It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me,” she wrote. “I don’t choose my man to satisfy any of you or the norms or boxes you have chosen in your mind for me to be in. I don’t thrive there, nor do I exist in your illusion about me. I choose from love. And that’s it.”
Martha Louise added, “Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfills me. So thank you for respecting my actions and my choice of partner. All I know at this moment is that we love each other and I am super happy.”
A post shared by Shaman Durek (@shamandurek) on Jun 2, 2019 at 8:09am PDT
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Durek says he is a 6th generation shaman – and that his mother predicted his romance with Princess Martha Louise when he was just a teenager.
“My mother told me that one day someone from her heritage in Norway would find me and bring so much joy in my heart. I asked her ‘who mother’? ‘She said a princess.’ I laughed and said ‘ok a princess whatever mother your funny.’ Well she was right my kindred spirit found me,” he captioned a photo of the royal on Instagram back in February.
