The chapel will open to residents of Norway. This is what King Harald’s farewell will look like
Starting Tuesday, 1 September, residents of Norway will be able to bid farewell to King Harald in the chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo. The coffin will first be carried through the palace by the late monarch’s children and grandchildren. The funeral ceremony will take place on 9 September at 1:00 p.m. in Oslo Cathedral.
In the photo: Harald V’s coffin arrived at the Royal Palace.
Fot. Øivind Möller Bakken/Det kongelige hoff
The Royal Palace chapel will open to visitors on Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. From Wednesday, 2 September, until the day before the funeral, people will be able to pass by the coffin daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. King Harald died on Friday, 28 August. That same evening, his coffin was transported to the Royal Palace, where preparations for the following ceremonies began.
The coffin will pass through the palace. The family will lead the procession
On Monday, 31 August, the coffin will be moved from the Red Salon to the palace chapel. It will be carried by King Harald’s children and grandchildren, who will proceed through several ceremonial rooms of the Royal Palace. Palace staff will line the route. This will allow them to bid farewell to the monarch, who had been King of Norway since 17 January 1991.<br /><br />The procession will pass through, among other places, the Yellow Salon, the Mirror Hall, the Small Banquet Hall and the Great Banquet Hall. Queen Sonja and Queen Mette-Marit will also take part. The head of the court will carry the royal crown on a cushion, while the head of the royal secretariat will carry the sword of state. In the Great Banquet Hall, the coffin will be taken over by aides-de-camp and carried further to the chapel. A similar ceremony was held following the death of King Olav V in 1991.
King Harald V was admitted to hospital on 17 August and remained there until his death on 28 August.Photo: CC0
The chapel will open on Tuesday. The public farewell will begin
King Harald’s coffin will remain in the chapel until the day of the funeral. Cadets from military schools will stand guard beside it. Wreaths and floral arrangements from the family will be placed around the coffin. The royal crown and the sword of state will also be placed on the coffin, symbolising the monarch’s role as the ruler and defender of the country.<br /><br />The first visitors will be able to enter the chapel on Tuesday at 2 p.m. On that day, the farewell will last until 6 p.m., and from 2 September, the chapel will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors will slowly walk past the coffin and thus pay tribute to the king. This opportunity will remain available until the day before the funeral ceremony.
Monday’s coffin transfer ceremony will be broadcast for the first time in Norway’s history. This will make it possible to follow the procession through the interiors of the Royal Palace from outside the building as well. Once it has ended, the coffin will remain in the chapel until 9 September.
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