Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon breaks silence over Martha Louise–Durek Netflix documentary

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has spoken for the first time since the release of Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, a Netflix documentary about his sister, Princess Märtha Louise, and her husband, Durek Verrett. In an interview published this week, Haakon said there was not a sufficiently clear distinction between the activities of the Royal House and the documentary project. The film, which follows the couple’s life and their wedding plans in Geiranger last summer, has reignited questions about an internal agreement that bars the use of the princess’s royal title or the family’s name in commercial ventures and media productions. The documentary’s release prompted a response from the palace and from the couple, who have argued they are telling their story while acknowledging limits set by the royal household.

"I think I should refrain from judging it, but unfortunately I do not think that there is a good enough distinction between the activities of the Royal House and the project and the commercial side of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett's activities," Haakon told Se og Hør, the Norwegian outlet that published the interview. He added that there would be a basis on which to discuss the agreement from 2022, suggesting there was room to “build on” the current framework. The clip in question, which showed a private moment between the Crown Prince and Verrett during Märtha Louise’s wedding celebrations, had already been removed from the Netflix production at the king’s request after the palace raised concerns about the couple’s public access to royal events. The episode highlighted how the royal family wants a clearer separation between its official duties and the couple’s media ventures.

![Crown Prince Haakon]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/09/24/16/102418649-0-image-m-22_1758727290070.jpg

Guri Varpe, the communications manager for the Norwegian Royal Court, reinforced the palace’s position in a statement to NRK, saying that while everyone has the right to tell their story, there should be a clearer distinction between Royal House activities and the private initiatives of Märtha Louise and Verrett. Varpe noted that when the palace learned a clip from the wedding had been used, officials contacted the documentary’s director and requested its removal. She added that the Royal House reserves the right not to be filmed in situations where other press did not have access, a boundary the palace says it will enforce in the future. The remarks signaled that negotiations about how the family’s image is used in media projects would continue, with conversations expected to shape how the royal brand is managed going forward and how such productions intersect with official duties.

Haakon said that despite the challenges, both sides would need to work toward a resolution, saying there was a need to “figure it out.” He acknowledged that the documentary and the surrounding controversy present a test for how the Royal House and Märtha Louise and Verrett will navigate their ongoing relationship after her step back from senior royal duties in 2019 and her subsequent marriage. The palace has previously stressed the importance of preserving the integrity of the royal family while allowing individual members to tell their stories, but officials have stressed the need for a clear line between official duties and private ventures.

Separately, Verrett issued a lengthy Instagram post in which he backtracked on several statements from the documentary, insisting his words had been twisted by the media. He apologized for any harm caused and said his aim had been to discuss racism in a way that reflected his own experiences. He emphasized that he loves his in-laws and that he and Märtha Louise share a strong relationship with King Harald V and Queen Sonja, adding that the family has supported him through various disputes. In the same message, Verrett said his intent was never to disparage the royal family and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing issues of racism and cultural misunderstanding with respect.

The Netflix project Rebel Royals has drawn scrutiny over whether Märtha Louise and Verrett violated a 2022 agreement that prevented them from using the royal title or the royal family’s name in commercial activities or media productions. In a formal response, Märtha Louise and Verrett acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and pledged to move forward responsibly, while saying they would not take questions from the press if doing so could be considered a breach of the agreement. In related remarks, Princess Mette-Marit spoke at the Nordic Archive Days conference shortly after the documentary’s release, saying she believed the matter would be discussed within the Palace, though she had not decided whether to watch the program herself.

The documentary depicts the couple navigating public scrutiny, with Verrett criticizing royal protocol and expressing his desire for a wedding that would reflect his sense of self within Märtha Louise’s life as a princess. It also features moments highlighting tension over etiquette, language, and the perceived aloofness of formal settings, as well as the couple’s hopes to blend their relationship with Märtha Louise’s status. The broader conversation around the film underscores ongoing questions about the balance between a modern royal family’s right to tell its own story and the need to protect the institution’s official duties from commercial influence. As Norway’s palace and Märtha Louise’s camp engage in ongoing dialogue, observers will be watching to see how the Royal House threads the needle between transparency and tradition in a changing media landscape.