Royal opens up about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's impact on dealing with 'racism'

In the programme, Mr Verrett opened up about the intense scrutiny he faced from the press and the public, drawing comparisons with Prince Harry and Meghan.

The Sussexes have previously spoken about racism from the tabloid press and concerns around unconscious bias within the Royal Family.

"Honesty, stepping into Norway, I felt judged on every level," Mr Verrett explained, describing the abuse he faced on social media after joining the European Royal Family.

He said: "It's not easy when you're getting 200 messages on your Instagram of people putting you down every day.

"It's not easy when you're getting death threats from people. It's not easy when people are racist towards me. Me being the first black man in the European Royal Family is very hard for people."

Mr Verrett claimed that when Princess Märtha Louise's parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, publicly commented on the "culture clash" between him and Norwegians, the press "made a racial slur".

He cited one Norwegian newspaper, which published an article that read: "Not exactly a whipping in the square, but still a clear no when the king spoke about Durek Verrett's quakery on Tuesday."

"One time, her parents made a comment about our culture clash. What they did in the press was, 'The King's going to whip him', they made a racial slur, and her family would do nothing to help me," he said.

The celebrity shaman revealed that Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, in which she discussed racism, mental health and her relationship with the media and the Royal Family, prompted a response from the Norwegian royals.

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"It was only when Harry and Meghan went into the press with Oprah did I get a message from the King saying, 'Do you feel that we treated you the same way?'" Mr Verrett explained as a clip of Meghan's interview with Oprah appeared on screen.

Mr Verrett said that after this, Princess Märtha Louise's parents "finally listened" to him and issued a press release condemning racism, which was later mentioned by Prince Harry in an interview with ABC News in 2023.

A clip of Harry praising the King of Norway followed. "Within the last couple of months, the King of Norway led by example," Harry said, adding, "It is huge and I congratulate them for that enormously."