California shaman fourth in line to the Norwegian throne
A California shaman, fourth in the Norwegian line of succession, faces cult accusations and questions over suspicious transplants. Meet Derek Verrett.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Marta Luisa's shaman, fourth in line to the Norwegian throne
How did a California shaman, a self-proclaimed alternative therapist, end up just steps away from the throne of Norway? The death of King Harald V has left the Nordic royal landscape with a new regent, Haakon VIII, and with the husband of his sister, Princess Marta Luisa of Norway, in fourth place in the line of succession. Derek David Verrett, born in California in 1974, is the man in question. And his past reads like a movie script.
A con man at court?
The Norwegian media pull no punches: several outlets have labeled him a "con man." Besides being the princess's husband, he is a businessman, writer and promoter of conspiracy theories. His ex-boyfriend, masseur Hank Greenberg, with whom he had a relationship from 2007 to 2015, accused him of violent manipulation and of running a cult in which "his word is law." The wedding they had planned for 2015 never peine.
Transplants and privileges
The new queen received a lung transplant this year, and her brother-in-law, the shaman, a kidney one. The coincidence is jarring the moment you compare it with the waiting times of Norway's public health system for an ordinary citizen. No one is accused of jumping the queue, but the question lingers: does everyone wait the same?
Norway prides itself on an exemplary monarchy, but every new episode seems written for Netflix. If the script continues like this, the shaman only needs a few more deaths to sit on the throne. Let's hope it's just irony.
How did a California shaman, a self-proclaimed alternative therapist, end up just steps away from the throne of Norway? The death of King Harald V has left the Nordic royal landscape with a new regent, Haakon VIII, and with the husband of his sister, Princess Marta Luisa of Norway, in fourth place in the line of succession. Derek David Verrett, born in California in 1974, is the man in question. And his past reads like a movie script.
A con man at court?
The Norwegian media pull no punches: several outlets have labeled him a "con man." Besides being the princess's husband, he is a businessman, writer and promoter of conspiracy theories. His ex-boyfriend, masseur Hank Greenberg, with whom he had a relationship from 2007 to 2015, accused him of violent manipulation and of running a cult in which "his word is law." The wedding they had planned for 2015 never peine.
Transplants and privileges
The new queen received a lung transplant this year, and her brother-in-law, the shaman, a kidney one. The coincidence is jarring the moment you compare it with the waiting times of Norway's public health system for an ordinary citizen. No one is accused of jumping the queue, but the question lingers: does everyone wait the same?
Norway prides itself on an exemplary monarchy, but every new episode seems written for Netflix. If the script continues like this, the shaman only needs a few more deaths to sit on the throne. Let's hope it's just irony.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (11 replies).
More summaries
-
Uclés links Granada earthquake to Lorca, whose body remains missing
Spanish writer David Uclés blames the Granada earthquake on the memory of Lorca. The historical aftershocks were not long in coming.
-
Norway, the electric paradise bankrolled by oil
Norway is close to 100% electric cars, but pays for it with oil. Cold weather, plastics and transport shatter the green fairy tale.
-
Scrubbing staircases in Norway: the job that doesn't pay off in Spain
Scrubbing staircases in Norway: the wage Spain won't pay. When decent work becomes a luxury.
-
Venom singer Cronos dies days after Bruno Kramm's death
Cronos, singer of Venom, dies of unknown causes, days after the death of artist Bruno Kramm following a live performance in Granada
-
Belarus names the Sviridyuk family Family of the Year
The Sviridyuk family, from the Brest region, won Belarus's seventh national Family of the Year contest, which featured seven finalist families.
-
Silvia Intxaurrondo breaks her silence after vanishing from Spanish public TV
Silvia Intxaurrondo has issued a statement after two weeks off the air on Spain's TVE. Online noise is growing amid accusations of whitewashing and a digital pile-on.