Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise, 50 revealed that she has “no plans to move right now”, after her move to the United States to be with her partner was put on hold. An intercontinental move of a similar vein was made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who’s high-profile decampment from Windsor to California, even earned its own title in the form of “Megxit” after the pair left their royal duties behind.
The member of the Norwegian Royal Family made the announcement in an interview with Norway’s state TV channel, NRK, marking her 50th birthday yesterday, September 22.
In February 2021, the royal revealed she was considering moving to the US amid concerns from her American boyfriend Durek Verrett, 46.
Shaman Durek had raised concerns that he felt badly treated and no longer wanted to settle in Norway, which prompted the princess to consider the move.
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway discussed this in an interview with TV2, who asked if it was relevant for her to move to the US.
She answered: “Yes, it may be that we end up there eventually.”
The Princess confirmed her intentions to move to the US along with her three daughters Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn, in April 2021.
At the time, in an interview with the Norwegian newspaper VG she declared that she had decided to move, but didn’t know when it would happen.
Märtha Louise, who is fourth-in-line to the Norwegian throne had previously lived in the US after moving to New York City in 2004, with her then-husband Ari Behn. The couple divorced in 2017 before Ari Behn passed away in 2019.
Since she began dating Durek, the royal had split her time between Los Angeles and the Hamptons and had intended to move to the US before she silenced the speculation this week.
However in her most-recent interview, Princess Märtha Louise confirmed she wouldn’t be following in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s footsteps, as her US move plans had been called off for the foreseeable future.
She hinted that her decision had been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In the interview with NRK, the princess said: “I have no plans to move right now. Everything changes all the time with COVID-19, and we have no idea what happens from day to day. Now I am in Norway.”
She addresses the impact of Covid, stating that the experience has allowed her confidence within herself to grow and that she can “handle anything that life throws” her way.
Her Royal Highness said: “I feel like we’ve been through a very dark valley and are starting to come out on the other side, and that’s very good.
“I think we all feel that now we can ‘deal’ with anything, because now the worst that can happen has happened. At least I feel that I have become even more confident in myself, because now I know that I can handle anything that life throws my way.”
Reflecting on turning 50, Princess Märtha Louise spoke of what she had learned from her family ahead of her milestone birthday.
As the eldest child of King Harald and Queen Sonja, Princess Märtha Louise said she has listened to the teachings of her father on how to cope with life and its experience.
The princess said: “I think it’s quite nice to be 50. My father says that age is just a number, and he has more experience than me.
“Now you have many good years ahead. So then I believe in him.”
If the move went ahead in the future, it would be similar to the one carried out by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who moved to California following their decision to step back from the British monarchy.
Harry, 37 and his wife Meghan, 40 moved to California in early 2020 with their first-born child Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
The pair recently welcomed their second child Lilibet Diana in June, and the family continue to live together in a Montecito property they purchased together.
Despite Märtha Louise being unable to relocate at present, other royals had previously made the switch to US soil, like Harry and Meghan.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden famously left Sweden to live, and work, in New York City after a broken engagement. While in the Big Apple, she met her now-husband, banker Christopher O’Neill before the pair permanently relocated to Florida.
Princess Eugenie, the cousin of Prince Harry also lived in the US between 2013 and 2015, while she worked for an art auction house called Paddle8.
