The state funeral of King Harald, which will take place this Wednesday in Oslo, will be the largest gathering of royals since the last farewell to Pope Francis at the Vatican. Now, to this illustrious guest list, a surprising late addition is joining. The Prince’s Palace of Monaco has confirmed that Princess Charlene will accompany her husband, Prince Albert, at the solemn funeral rites for the late Norwegian monarch.
In recent years, Princess Charlene of Monaco has not been, by any means, a regular companion on the many foreign trips of Prince Albert. Notably, the head of the Grimaldi family carried out a large number of solo visits to Spain until finally his wife decided to travel with him to Madrid last June.
That is why it is noteworthy that she has now decided to stand by her husband during this historic farewell in Oslo. In addition to attending the funeral of King Harald, Prince Albert has also decided that the flags of the palace and of the principality’s public buildings will fly at half-mast on Wednesday, as a display of the friendship and historical ties between Monaco and Norway.
After the death of Harald V, Prince Albert sent a letter of condolence to his successor, Haakon VIII, in which he paid tribute to the sense of duty and the commitment of the late monarch to his country. In it he also highlighted his work in favor of environmental protection, sport, inclusion, cultural diversity and human rights, while recalling the personal moments that the two families had shared.
Albert, Charlene, and their reunion with Norway
For Princess Charlene, this trip will also be a reunion with Norway. The last time she and Albert visited the Scandinavian country together was in June 2022. On that occasion they also brought along the twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, then eleven years old. The family traveled to Oslo for the opening of the exhibition Navigating the Sea of Science at the Fram Museum. During the visit, the Monaco royal family was invited to the residence of King Harald and Queen Sonja at Bygdø Kongsgård, where they had lunch together. Also attending this engagement were Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Martha Louise.
Albert and Charlene of Monaco, visiting Lapland.
Earlier, Albert and Charlene had already undertaken a more original visit to Norway. In 2012, both donned the traditional Lapland attire, traveling to study how the lifestyle of its inhabitants is affected by climate change. During their stay in Kautokeino (in the north of the country), the princes covered themselves with furs to ride a reindeer-drawn sleigh and thus imitate the Sami, the people who inhabit that region.
But Monaco-Norway relations go back a long way. The great-great-grandfather of Albert of Monaco, Prince Albert I, carried out a series of scientific expeditions to Svalbard at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th. Nicknamed the Sailor Prince, aboard his emblematic research ship, the Princesse-Alice II, he organized expeditions that combined geographical exploration with studies advanced for the time.
All Set for Operation K
The state funeral of King Harald will be the final phase of the grand operation dubbed Operation K (from the Norwegian word ‘konge’, king). To coordinate it, the largest security operation ever carried out in Norway will take place. About 6,500 police officers and soldiers will participate in an operation that will cover the axis linking the Royal Palace, Oslo Cathedral, and the Akershus Fortress. Large screens are also planned to be installed so that fellow citizens of the deceased monarch can follow the ceremony.
Tributes in Oslo in memory of King Harald.
The funeral will begin at 1:00 pm at Oslo Cathedral. The ceremony will be officiated by Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, and at the start of the ceremony a minute of silence will be observed across the country, marked by three chimes of bells at the beginning and at the end. The Speaker of the Parliament and the Prime Minister will deliver commemorative speeches. There will also be a candlelighting ceremony in which representatives of different religions and beliefs will participate.
After the funeral service, the casket will be moved in procession to the chapel of the Akershus Fortress. There, a private ceremony for the family will take place. Members of royal families from all European countries will also attend, including Spain’s with Felipe and Letizia at the forefront. The coffin will be laid in the crypt of the Palace Chapel, where the sarcophagi of King Haakon, Queen Maud, King Olav and the heiress Princess Martha are also located.
