Several years ago, Norway’s Princess Martha Louise fell in love with an American shaman. If you sold their story as a plot of a Lifetime movie, people would not buy it, but it really happened. Earlier this year, Martha Louise and Shaman Durek got engaged. The reaction from the Norwegian royal family was pretty muted. Now, at this point, Martha Louise is basically only part of the royal family in name only, and they already banned her from using her royal title and royal status to sell shaman stuff, like their speaking tours. Shaman Durek has also gone on record about how he believes that no one wants to see “a Black man in the royal family.” Racism, a celebrity shaman, and disputes about royal status. It’s a lot. Well, now Martha Louise’s brother Crown Prince Haakon has gone on the record about all of this.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is speaking out on a “difficult” topic. During an outing, the heir to Norway’s throne was asked about the reports saying that discussions are going on about whether or not his sister, Princess Märtha Louise, will keep her royal title.

“This is a topic that I find difficult,” Crown Prince Haakon said, according to Royal Central. Prince Haakon said, “On the one hand, my sister got engaged, and I got to know Durek Verrett and think it is nice to be with him. I have been with him on many occasions. I would like him to feel welcome in our family.”

“At the same time, I feel very responsible for the institution,” the 49-year-old son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja continued, according to the outlet. “We have, of course, noticed that some of what has been said and done has caused quite a bit of discussion. Some of it has also been controversial. We have to talk about figuring this out, and that is what we are trying to do now that we now have this process where we are trying to find a good way forward.”

“At the same time that brings us the feelings and thoughts about the different aspects. So this is going to take some more time. It is natural that if something happens that people think something about, that it creates debate. I think that is part of the living democracy that Norway is a part of,” Crown Prince Haakon said.

King Harald previously talked about the “cultural collision” with his daughter’s American partner.

“I do not think it has fully sunk in yet what we mean, but we are in a process and this will eventually work itself out,” the monarch said earlier this year, according to Royal Central. “We get to know each other better and better, and we will talk to him, as we do in a family. So, it is going to work out. But I don’t promise that it will be resolved tomorrow. It is the culture collision we are now noticing.”

[From People]

I mean… I actually get what Haakon is trying to say, however awkwardly. It’s a lot – a Norwegian princess engaged to a Black man who is also a celebrity shaman, and Martha Louise is in business with Durek too. But I also think the family has already set it up so that Martha Louise is free to do whatever she wants – they already took away her royal styling and she’s not allowed to use “Princess” for any of her business ventures. Will they eventually formalize it and “take back” her princess title? Probably. Also: she lives in LA full-time now. So she’s already got her whole life away from the family. Still, it looks bad and the family is trying desperately to thread the needle of “we’re taking away your title because of the shady shaman stuff, not because you’re marrying a Black man!”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Martha Louise’s Instagram.