Sept. 14, 2025

1. When Princess Met Shaman

1. When Princess Met Shaman

In 2018, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway meets Hollywood's most controversial spiritual healer through mutual friends. What starts as a six-month friendship becomes a secret romance that will rock the Norwegian monarchy. From Durek Verrett's celebrity clients to his claims of being part-reptilian, this is the story of how an angel-talking princess fell for a shaman who promised to change her world forever.

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Kalaruga Shark Media. The year was twenty eighteen. In the

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glittering world of Hollywood's spiritual elite, where celebrities seek enlightenment

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between red carpet appearances, one man had carved out an

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extraordinary niche Derek David Verrett from Sacramento, California, had transformed

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himself into Shaman Durek, describing himself as a sixth generation

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healer whose client list reportedly included aless stars. But nothing

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could have prepared this controversial spiritual guide for the encounter

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that would rock a monarchy. Three thousand miles away in

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the royal palaces of Norway, Princess Marta Luise was on

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her own spiritual journey. The daughter of King Harold fifth,

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had always been different from other royals. While her brother,

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the crown Prince Hakon, prepared for his future throne, Marta

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Luise claimed to communicate with angels, ran alternative therapy sessions,

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and openly embraced beliefs that made Norway's famously secular society

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deeply uncomfortable. This is Crown and Controversy Norway's Royal Rebels

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Episode one, when the Princess met the Shaman, their worlds

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collided through mutual friends in the entertainment industry. Marta Luise,

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who had been exploring spiritual practices for years, was intrigued

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by this charismatic American who made extraordinary healing claims. Durek

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would later admit he was initially hesitant about pursuing romance,

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saying she fell in love with me first. I was

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a little apprehensive because I thought, maybe I'm going to

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end up with a man. As far as I'm concerned,

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it doesn't matter if it's a male or a female,

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or it could be another being from another planet. For

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Princess Marta Luise, the attraction was immediate and profound. Here

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was someone who didn't just tolerate her spiritual beliefs, he

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lived them as deeply as she did. After her divorce

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from author Ari Bain in twenty seventeen, following fourteen years

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of marriage, she had been rebuilding her life as a

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single mother to three daughters. Her spiritual practices had become

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even more important during this period of transition. Durek represented

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something she had never encountered before, a partner who could

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match her mystical interests while bringing his own extraordinary claims

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to their relationship. In his book spirit Hacking and various interviews,

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he claimed to be part reptilian, part alien. He said

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he possessed the ability to reverse aging by turning atoms.

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He spoke publicly of past lives as an Egyptian pharaoh

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and connections to ancient Atlantean technology. The early stages of

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their relationship unfolded quietly, away from public scrutiny. Durek would

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fly to Norway for private visits. Friends described the princess

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as appearing happier during this period, though the specific reasons

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weren't publicly known at the time. She seemed more energetic

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about her spiritual work and was traveling more frequently. As

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their relationship deepened throughout twenty eighteen, the couple faced logistical challenges.

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Durek had built his reputation and income around his Los

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Angeles based healing work, Marta Luise had royal duties in

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Norway and three school aged children who needed stability. The

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solution they chose was a long distance relationship with frequent visits.

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Durek would fly to Norway for extended stays, while Marta

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Luise would travel to California to immerse herself in his

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spiritual world. During these California visits, Martin Luise was introduced

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to direct circle of celebrity clients and spiritual seekers. She

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attended his healing sessions and workshops, where clients reportedly paid

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hundreds of dollars per session. She observed him selling various

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spiritual products, crystals, meditation tools, and the medallions that would

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later become controversial. Durek would share details about his beliefs

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during interviews given years later. He claimed to be in

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contact with beings from other dimensions. He stated that he

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could see people's past lives and predict their futures. In

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his book and interviews, he spoke about what he described

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as government conspiracies involving five G technology and what he

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called those who enslaved the planet. Pallace sources suggested that

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courtiers were beginning to notice changes in the princess during

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this period. She seemed more excited about her spiritual work

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and was spending longer periods away from her royal duties,

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though the specific reasons weren't yet known to palace staff.

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King Harold the Fifth and Queen Sonya were reportedly optimistic

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about their daughter's apparent happiness during this time. They didn't

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yet know the details of her new relationship, but could

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observe that something in her personal life was bringing her joy.

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Crown Prince Hakkun was more skeptical about his sister's increasingly

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unconventional spiritual pursuits. Her alternative therapy center a start at

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education was already causing discussion within royal circles. Adding a

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new romantic relationship to the mix seemed potentially problematic to

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the future king. As twenty eighteen drew to a close,

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both Marta Luise and Derek found themselves at a crossroads.

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Their relationship was becoming more serious, but it remained a

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secret from the Norwegian public and largely unknown even within

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royal circles. They knew that eventually, if the relationship continued,

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they would need to make it public. They spent the

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Christmas holidays of twenty eighteen together in Norway, with durrect

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meeting Mata Luis's family for the first time in a

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formal capacity. The meeting was cordial but tentative. King Harold

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the Fifth and Queen Sonya were polite but reserved, trying

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to understand this charismatic American who had captured their daughter's heart.

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Crown Prince Hakon was more direct in his skepticism, asking

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pointed questions about Durek's background and spiritual practices. The future

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king had done his research and was concerned about some

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of the claims associated with his sister's new boyfriend, but

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Marta Luise was determined to make the relationship work. She

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believed she had found her soulmate, someone who understood her

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spiritual gifts and supported her unconventional path. The fact that

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he was controversial only seemed to strengthen her resolve. She

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had always been the rebellious royal, the one who challenged

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conventions and pushed boundaries. What she didn't yet realize was

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that Direct's controversies went far beyond unconventional spiritual beliefs. His

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claims about healing serious medical conditions, his promotion of products

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with unproven health benefits, and his dismissal of conventional medicine

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would soon put her in an impossible position. As they

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planned for the new year, both Marta Luise and Derek

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knew that twenty nineteen would be the year they would

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have to go public with their relation relationship. The secrecy

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was becoming difficult to maintain, and both felt ready to

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face whatever challenges lay ahead. They had no idea that

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going public would unleash a media firestorm that would consume

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Norwegian headlines for years to come, threaten the stability of

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the royal family, and ultimately force a princess to choose

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between love and duty in the most dramatic royal crisis

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in modern Norwegian history. But who was Derrick David Verett

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before he became Shamandurek Born November seventeenth, nineteen seventy four.

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He grew up in Foster City, California, in what he

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claimed was a wealthy family with deep Shamanic traditions, but

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Norwegian investigators would later discover that almost everything about his

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past was complicated. Some family members publicly disputed aspects of

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his personal history. His claims of privileged upbringing faced scrutiny

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when relatives spoke to press outlets. His assertions about Norwegian

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West Indian heritage through his mother, varushka Urquat appeared to

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shift depending on the audience. Sometimes she was described as

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Native American, sometimes white, sometimes West Indian. His father's ancestry

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also seemed fluid in his telling, sometimes described as African

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and Haitian, other times claimed as Native American Blackfoot. The

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transformation from Derek to Durek happened gradually. Court records show

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he legally changed his name to Durek Verret in twenty fourteen.

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His website originally claimed he was a third generation shaman.

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Later versions upgraded this to sixth generation. His rise in

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Hollywood's spiritual circles seemed meteoric. By his own account, he

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built a practice serving wealthy clients seeking alternative healing methods.

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His website advertised sessions costing fifteen hundred dollars for a

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one hour virtual private consultation. Durek sold various spiritual products

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alongside his healing services, crystals, meditation tools, and what he

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called spirit optimizers medallions that he claimed were imbued with

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frequencies and energies that connect to the spirit world and

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to the physical world. The celebrity endorsements seemed to validate

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his approach. Gwyneth Paltrow was reported as among his clients,

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though the specific details of their professional relationship haven't been

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publicly disclosed. These high profile associations helped build his reputation

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as a shaman to the stars, but beneath the glamorous facade,

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troubling questions were emerging about his background and credentials. His

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claimed shamanic lineage couldn't be independently verify. His stories about

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studying with indigenous healers worldwide lack specific details that could

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be confirmed. Most concerning were the extraordinary claims he made

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about his abilities and background in his book spirit Hacking

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and various interviews. He claimed to have worked at Shamer

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Medical Center in Israel, treating children for cancer using shamanic methods. However,

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the hospital denied that he had ever worked there. He

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also claimed to be a reincarnated pharaoh from Egypt. These claims,

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while perhaps meaningful to spiritual believers, raised questions among skeptics

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about his credibility. The stage was set for one of

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the most extraordinary and controversial royal romances of the twenty

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first century. A princess who claimed to talk to angels

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had fallen in love with a shaman who claimed to

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be part alien. Therefore, fairytale was about to become a

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nightmare that would test the very foundations of the Norwegian monarchy.

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But on those quiet winter evenings in twenty eighteen, as

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they walked through the snow covered grounds of her estate

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and planned their future together. Marta Luise and Durek believed

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that love would be enough to overcome any obstacle. They

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were about to discover just how wrong they were. Next

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time on Crown and Controversy, Princess Marta Luise and her

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American shaman go public with their relationship. Norwegian media explodes

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with coverage of the royal romance. The Princess and the

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Shaman tour across Norway faces protests and cancelations. Medical professionals

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sound alarms about dangerous healing claims, and as the controversy

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reaches fever, pitch leaked excerpts from Durek's book reveals shocking

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claims about cancer, children and women's bodies that will horrify

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the Norwegian medical establishment. While no one truly knows what

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happens behind closed palace doors, This entertainment series uses news sources,

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on the record, quotes, and some artistic license. Some moments

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have been dramatized for storytelling effect. A I narration was

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used in creation of this series. To keep up with

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royal families around the world. Follow our sister podcast, Palace Intrigue,

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a seven day a week, ten minute update on Royalty

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and if you love royal stories like this one, be

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sure to check out Crown and Controversy, our deep dive

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series on the British royal family. Crown and Controversy Norway's

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Royal Rebels is a production of Calaogua Shark Media executive

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producers Mark Francis and John MacDermott