Norway’s late King Harald’s casket moved to lie in state
King Harald V lies in state at the royal palace chapel until his September 9 funeral, as Norway enters a national mourning period.
Flowers and condolences surround Stiftsgården following the death of King Harald V on Friday in Trondheim, Norway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (Photo: Jan Langhaug/NTB Scanpix via AP)
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OSLO: The casket of Norway’s late King Harald V was transferred on Monday (Aug 31) to the royal palace chapel, where the late regent will lie in state until his funeral on September 9.
The casket was escorted by Harald’s children and grandchildren, with televised images showing a procession through the palace halls that included Marius Borg Hoiby, the 29-year-old stepson of the new King Haakon VIII, who is under house arrest pending his appeal of a four-year sentence for two rape convictions.
Earlier on Monday, Norwegian police confirmed that Hoiby would also be allowed to leave his house arrest to attend next week’s funeral.
The casket, draped in Norway’s royal standard, had been in the palace’s Red Salon state room since Friday, after being transported from Oslo University Hospital where he died earlier that day.
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The same ritual of moving the king’s casket to the chapel was performed when Harald’s father, King Olav V, passed away in 1991.
Queen Mette-Marit and Harald’s wife, Queen Sonja, also took part in the procession, holding hands and walking behind the casket.
A national period of mourning has been declared until the funeral.
The public will be able to view the casket in the palace chapel from Tuesday at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) until September 8 at 6:00 pm.
The late king enjoyed massive support despite the slew of scandals that dogged his family in the final stretch of his 35-year reign.
On Tuesday, King Haakon will swear an oath of allegiance in parliament.
King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit are not expected to be ceremonially crowned as Norway abolished coronations in 1908.
But, like his father and grandfather before him, Haakon could opt for a consecration ceremony at Trondheim Cathedral, where Norwegian monarchs were crowned between 1814 and 1906.
Harald enjoyed broad popularity, seen as the embodiment of an open and tolerant Norway. He was praised for leading a monarchy that was modern and modest.
He faced mounting health problems in his final years, forcing him to scale back his official schedule.
He had been in hospital in Oslo since August 17, suffering from haemolytic anaemia, a condition caused by an abnormally rapid destruction of red blood cells that leads to fatigue and shortness of breath.
Source: AFP/fs
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