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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