ノルウェー王女、公務引退　代替医療事業に専念

【オスロＡＦＰ＝時事】ノルウェー王室は８日、マッタ・ルイーセ王女（５１）が公務から引退したと発表した。婚約者でシャーマンを自称する米国人男性デュレク・ベレット氏との代替医療事業に専念するためと説明している。（写真はノルウェー・オスロで、政府主催の行事に出席したマッタ・ルイーセ王女＜左＞とデュレク・ベレット氏）
　王室の声明によると、「王女は王室のパトロンとしての役割から退き、現時点で王室を代表することはない」と明らかにした。ただし、父親であるハラルド国王の意向により「王女の称号は維持する」という。
　今回の発表について王室は、「商業活動からノルウェー王室をより明確に分ける境界線を引く意図がある」と説明した。
　王室によると、王女とベレット氏が結婚すれば、同氏も王室の一員になるとはいえ、爵位は持たず、王室を代表することもないという。
　マッタ・ルイーセ王女と、「６世代にわたるシャーマンの家系」の生まれだというベレット氏の婚約は、ノルウェー国内に波紋を広げた。
　ベレット氏は自著の中で、がんは選択できるものだと主張。また自身のウェブサイトでは、新型コロナウイルスに感染した際の回復に役立ったとするメダルを販売している。
　一方王女は、天使と会話する能力があると公言している。２００２年に「超能力者」としての活動を選択して以来、「殿下」の敬称は使用されていない。１９年には、商業活動では「王女」の称号を使わないことにも同意した。
　ノルウェー王室は国民におおむね人気だが、９月に行われた世論調査では、回答者の１７％が王室に対する評価を下げた。その理由としてほぼ全員が、王女とベレット氏の婚約を挙げていた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/11/09-15:07）

Norway's Princess Martha Louise on Tuesday relinquished her royal duties in order to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiance, a self-proclaimed shaman.
The 51-year-old princess' relationship with Durek Verrett, a popular Hollywood spiritual guru, caused waves in Norway after the African-American sixth-generation shaman suggested in his book Spirit Hacking that cancer was a choice.
He also sells a $222 medallion on his website dubbed a Spirit Optimizer, which he claims helped him overcome Covid-19.
A poll in September found 17 percent of Norwegians now have a lower opinion of the generally popular royal family, nearly all citing the princess and the shaman as the reason.
In a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday, the princess said she was stepping down in order to bring calm to the Royal House.
The palace said the princess was relinquishing the role as royal patron... and will not be representing the royal house at the present time.
However, in accordance with the king's wishes, the princess will keep her title.
King Harald, speaking to the press later with Queen Sonja by his side, said he was sorry the princess would no longer represent the royal family.
She's very good at it, he said.
- 'Agreed to disagree' -
Martha Louise, who claims to be able to speak with angels, lost her honorific Her Royal Highness title in 2002 when she chose to work as a clairvoyant.
In 2019, the divorced mother of three agreed not to use her title as princess in her commercial endeavours.
But since becoming engaged to Verrett in June, the couple's belief in alternative therapies, often featured on their social media channels, has raised eyebrows in no-nonsense Norway.
Several groups of healthcare professionals had already dropped the princess as a patron because of her fiance's penchant for alternative medicine.
He's an imposter, a charlatan and a quack, columnist and humourist Dagfinn Nordbo has said.
According to the agreement announced Tuesday, the couple will refrain from any association with the royal family in their social media channels, media productions and commercial activities.
This is intended to draw a dividing line that more clearly separates commercial activity from the Royal House of Norway, the palace said.
Speaking of Verrett, the king told reporters that following discussions between all parties, both we and he have a greater understanding of what this is all about, and we've agreed to disagree.
We can live with our differences, he added.
- 'Spirituality important' -
The royal family said it had great confidence in the Norwegian health service and the Norwegian health authorities, stressing the importance of established medical knowledge and scientific research.
Martha Louise said she was aware of the importance of research-based knowledge.
I also believe, however, that there are components of a good life and sound physical and mental health that may not be so easy to sum up in a research report.
She said spirituality, intimacy with other people and animals, yoga and meditation could be important supplements, as could a warm hand, an acupuncture needle, a crystal.
It was key to distinguish between myself as a private person on the one hand and as a member of the royal family on the other, she said.
She hoped her personal views would be treated as her own without others having to answer for them.
The king said he thought Verrett -- whom he described as a great guy and very funny -- also now had a better understanding of the role of the monarchy in Norway.
Americans don't understand the meaning of it. They don't, he said with a laugh.
The palace said that once the princess and Verrett were wed, her new husband would become a member of the royal family but would not hold a title or represent the monarchy.