Norwegian royal family faces scandals as Princess Märtha Louise prepares for wedding in Geiranger

The Norwegian royal family has recently been embroiled in a series of scandals. Particularly, Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, has made headlines due to charges related to bodily harm, vandalism, and threats against his former girlfriend. Additionally, the wedding this weekend between Princess Märtha Louise and self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett has sparked controversy.

Despite these issues, royal commentator and author Thomas Larsen reassured that the scandals and declining public support for the Norwegian monarchy are unlikely to affect the Danish royal family. Historically, similar instances with the British or Swedish royal families have not had spillover effects.

Larsen noted on a recent talk show that the Norwegian royal family has traditionally enjoyed significant popularity, led by a very well-liked king and queen. However, circumstances can change rapidly.

On Monday, the Danish royal family announced it would not attend the wedding in Geiranger, Norway. Larsen is confident that both the Danish court and royal family are closely monitoring the situation in Norway, given the familial connections and the close relationship between the neighboring countries. He characterized the current turmoil in the Norwegian royal family as a “tsunami.”

While Larsen pointed out that the situation in Norway differs significantly from that in Denmark, he acknowledged that the Danish royal family has faced its own challenges in the past, such as the Herlufsholm incident and the removal of titles from Prince Joachim’s children. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the Danish royal family has managed to navigate crises and move forward, noting that crises have been infrequent over the long term.