What's more important these days - being Instagram royalty or actual royalty?
It's a tough call (though @sussexroyal seems to be doing a pretty good job at both): Princess Märtha Louise of Norway has announced that she will now be dropping her royal 'Princess' title, except for official engagements with the Norwegian royal family in order to be a new-age-style Instagram guru.
The decision is influenced by work projects that Princess Märtha has with her Shaman boyfriend Derek Verrett - otherwise known as Shaman Durek (does this loosely count as giving up your royal status for love?); don't worry though guys, it's all legit because he's a featured contributor on GOOP. Shaman Durek's bio states that in addition to being a 'spiritual guide' he is 'a mediator or “bridge” between the spiritual and physical planes'.
Gushing about her boyfriend to her Instagram followers, Princess Märtha called Verrett her 'twin flame' announcing to her Instagram users that 'He has made me realize that unconditional love actually exists here on this planet'. (aww)
The decision to give up her royal title for work commitments comes after Princess Märtha faced some negative attention when the pair hosted some workshops earlier this year titled 'the Princess and the Shaman' billed as a journey ' self-discovery into wisdoms to reveal to you your divine self activated'. The title of the workshops attracted criticism that Princess Märtha was exploiting her royal title.
Following discussions with her family, she has now opted to drop her title for work projects and created a new Instagram @martha.louise.intuitive for work purposes. In an Instagram post (if it isn't announced on Instagram these days - is it even legit?) she wrote 'This is my new page for my work related projects where I use my name without my title. I am simply Märtha Louise. Let’s explore life and go on adventures together. #lovelife #businessintuition #intuitivebusiness'
This wouldn't be the Princess's first foray into new-age style teachings. In fact she's had some pretty erm... alternative views since 2007 when she claimed to be clairvoyant and opened an 'angel' school for the purpose of communicating with angels (whatever makes you happy, we guess?).
Nor does it come as a surprise that Princess Märtha is buddies with the queen of all bougie alternative business ventures and new-age wellness empires: Gwyneth Paltrow - who we're guessing she was introduced to by the Shaman.
In July she posted a praise-filled selfie with the GOOP mogul, writing 'Meeting amazing people that make us grow is such a gift of life, don’t you think? Meeting @gwynethpaltrow was such a gift. Your wisdom, strength, your clear vision and soft personality with a great sense of humor is so inspiring.'
Giving up your Royal title to become an influencer and follow in Gwyneth Paltrow's footsteps? We can't think of anything more '2019'.
All Of The Most Goop-esque Things On Poosh - Grazia
1 of 61. Matcha Pancakes
When Gwyneth extolled the virtues of a Gluten-Free diet in the fledgling GOOP days it was widely ridiculed. But now a gluten-free lifestyle is leading the charges of the wellness trend along with veganism and flexitarianism (the vagina-steaming never really took on in the same way), while we're not quite sure how we feel about green pancakes - if there's anything GOOP taught us it's not to dismiss the power of a food fad. Plus they actually look quite good...
2 of 62. Mindful Walking
'Why not drink your morning coffee and go for a little stroll down the road or in a park, taking a moment to think about what you can see, smell, and taste? That daily connection to nature will help you feel more mindful and, at the same time, you will benefit from some extra vitamin D.' - yes, this snippet of advice does have a tinge of Pippatips about it - but GOOP incontestably rules the mindfulness roost (Gwyneth, obviously has been on it for ages - from mindful parenting to how to mindfully disconnect from technology). In the same article, entitled 'Daily Habits To Lead A More Mindful Life' Poosh also encourages a 'gratitude diary' and a 'happiness workout'. Gratitude diaries I could get on board with - but in London, it has to be said that maybe we're ever-so-slightly less convinced about the breathing in the sights, smells and tastes.
3 of 63. Organic Bedding
In the same style as the 'if a tree falls in a wood question' - if an 'essential' home product doesn't cost upwards of $400, is it even on GOOP? Poosh appears to have taken note - and swears by 'updating you bedroom' with organic bedding 'Follow Kourt's lead and swap your bedding for organic brands that are free of chemicals.' If you'd like to truly sleep like Kourtney though you'll have to go for a Legna-branded duvet set - as the site states: 'Kourt uses Legna on all beds in her home.' ($97 for a pillowcase anyone?).
4 of 64. Boob Exercises
Ok - it might not quite be inserting jade eggs into your vagina a-la-Gwyneth. Kourtney's (slightly more PG) tips for maintaining your womanly parts include regular boob exercises of chest flies and push ups (all in the name of 'how to defeat gravity').
5 of 65. Organic No-Applicator Tampons
Something we didn't realise existed until Poosh enlightened us? Organic no-applicator tampons. Kourtney's preferred brand are Naturacare which retail at a more-budget-friendly-than-expected £8.69 for a box of 20. Unsurprisingly planet-friendly tampons are something GOOP hopped on way before the Kardashians. Gwyneth favours She - a brand of nontoxic and biodegradable tampons which also happen to be Instagram-friendly (erm - just what we needed?). On the website she enthuses 'But we have to admit that we first tried these because we were utterly dazzled by the visuals. The palm-frond-printed box is so pretty, we feel not just comfortable adding it to the bathroom-shelf landscape/décor but thrilled.'
6 of 66. Louis Vuitton Dinner Party Gifts
Taking a lukewarm bottle of Cloudy Bay to a dinner party, according to Poosh is not the done thing. Helpfully though, Kourtney has some alternative suggestions: 'Rather than opting for a traditional hostess gift, shop outside the box and go the extra mile with something a bit more thoughtful.' she enthuses 'Another unique idea is an interactive gift like these sleek (and stylish) Louis Vuitton playing cards' (a snip for $485). GOOP choices are, of course, similarly eclectic: next time why not ditch the wine and go with $72 floral scissors (on another note - what are these?) or a wellness oil kit. Just what every dinner party needs?