The King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89, after being admitted to hospital last week for treatment for a rare blood disease. The royal flag flying atop the roof of the Royal Palace has been flown at half-mast. In the 24 hours preceding his death, several members of the royal family visited the monarch and numerous people laid flowers at the palace.
Harald was the first King of Norway to be born in the country since the 14th century. He is succeeded by his son Haakon, 53, who will reign under the name Haakon VIII. After 35 years on the throne, Harald will be remembered as a popular and reformist figure who modernized the monarchy of the Scandinavian country, broke with tradition by marrying a commoner, and acted as a unifying figure in the country’s most difficult moments.
Now begins a period of several days of national mourning until the funeral of King Harald is held at Oslo Cathedral. Subsequently, he will rest beside his ancestors in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress, a 13th-century castle overlooking the port of the Norwegian capital. The body of the late monarch will lie beside his mother, Crown Princess Märtha; his father, King Olav; his grandmother, Queen Maud, and his grandfather, King Haakon.
In 2024, the kings Harald and Sonja began preparing their eternal resting place with the design of their future joint tombs. The budget for this project was 20 million Norwegian kroner (2.7 million euros) and was commissioned to the prestigious Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. To date, the fortress remains a military area, a function that combines with its use for tourism, in addition to hosting official events and serving as the resting place of the monarchs.
This is how the funeral of King Olav of Norway unfolded
To get an idea of how the final farewell to King Harald will be, we can look at everything that surrounded the death of his father, Olav V of Norway. His state funeral took place on January 30, 1991, and was marked by a deep manifestation of popular mourning. In the days following his death, thousands of Norwegians gathered in the square in front of the Oslo Royal Palace to light hundreds of thousands of candles and leave farewell letters on the snow.
Harald and his son Haakon, during the funeral of King Olav of Norway.
His mortal remains remained in the palace chapel, where his fellow citizens were able to pay him their last tribute. On the day of the funeral, his coffin was transferred to Oslo Cathedral, while more than 100,000 people gathered to witness the procession. At that moment, a minute of silence was observed across the country. The service was officiated by Bishop Andreas Aarflot and the prime minister at that time, Gro Harlem Brundtland, delivered the funeral oration.
After the service at the cathedral, the funeral procession departed for the historic Akershus Fortress. There, an intimate and family burial rite was held in the castle chapel, accompanied by a 42-gun salute over the capital. The body of Olav V was laid to rest in the green sarcophagus of the Royal Mausoleum, where he rests beside his wife, Princess Märtha.
Olav V’s funeral was attended by representatives from all European royal houses and also from Japan, with Crown Prince Naruhito in attendance. It is very likely that King Felipe and Queen Letizia will attend the state funeral of King Harald, given the deep historical and personal ties that bind the two royal families. There is also speculation about the presence of Queen Sofía, with whom the late Norwegian monarch had a close friendship.
The transition to the reign of Haakon VIII
Norway will welcome its new monarch with a series of ceremonial acts. In keeping with the discreet profile of the Norwegian royal family, there will be no events resembling the pomp that surrounded, for example, the coronation of Charles III in the United Kingdom. To begin with, Haakon must officially inform the Government of Harald’s death during an Extraordinary Council of State, which is a full cabinet meeting with the new monarch.
Tributes in memory of King Harald in front of the Royal Palace of Oslo.
In that Council, Haakon will inform the cabinet the name and the motto he will adopt. He may change his name if he wishes, though it is expected that he will keep it and become King Haakon VIII of Norway. As for his motto, he could choose a new one or follow in the footsteps of his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather by using the classic “Alt for Norge” (All for Norway).
A few days later, he will take the oath at the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament, and promise to govern the kingdom in accordance with its Constitution and laws. There will be no formal coronation ceremony, but if he decides to, there will be a consecration in the Nidaros Cathedral, in Trondheim. In that case, the royal crown will be displayed, but Haakon will not wear it. According to tradition, after the ceremony, the new king and the new queen consort, Mette-Marit, would undertake a tour around the country.
