Hundreds of citizens arrived early this Sunday at the church of Asker, about 20 kilometers southwest of Oslo, to accompany the Norwegian royal family in a mass in memory of King Harald V, who passed away on Friday at the age of 89.
The temple doors opened at 10 a.m. local time, one hour before the religious service. The attendance ended up exceeding its capacity: about 500 people were left outside the church, which has space for 400 attendees.
“The whole nation is in mourning at this time, and gathering in churches can be good. Also in Asker, we invited the local population to a funeral mass at the church of Asker, and we warmly welcome the royal family,” said the provost Øyvind Stabrun beforehand.
In the front row were the new King Haakon VIII, the Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja, and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Queen Mette-Marit did not participate in the service because she is still recovering from the lung transplant she underwent in June. The Royal House reported that her condition allows her to participate in official activities in a limited way, although she will be present at some of the events related to the death of Harald V.
The Asker ceremony was part of a series of religious services held this Sunday in different parts of the country. Among other authorities, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the President of the Norwegian Parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, participated in the Oslo Cathedral.
The funeral of King Harald V of Norway, who passed away on Friday at the age of 89, will take place next Wednesday, September 9, at the Oslo Cathedral, according to the Royal House’s announcement this Sunday.
The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. Norwegian time and will be officiated by the presiding bishop of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit. After the religious service, the monarch will be buried at Akershus Fortress.
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The day will start with a private ceremony in the chapel of the Royal Palace, intended for close family members. Afterwards, the main gate of the premises will be opened, and a 21-gun funeral salute will be fired from Akershus Fortress.
The coffin will then be transported in a procession from the Royal Palace to the Oslo Cathedral, accompanied by family members, Norwegian authorities, and national and foreign guests.
Once the funeral is over, a second, smaller procession will take the coffin to the Akershus chapel. There, a private ceremony will be held with the family, representatives of European royal houses, and some Norwegian authorities.
The crypt located beneath the church of the fortress will be the final resting place of Harald V. After the burial, a double royal salute will be performed from Akershus.
Subsequently, the royal family will return to the Royal Palace, where the new king, Haakon VIII, and his family will greet the public from the balcony. Afterwards, a reception will be held with representatives of the government, foreign guests, and relatives of the deceased monarch.
Before the funeral, citizens will be able to say goodbye to Harald V at the Royal Palace of Oslo. The coffin will be moved this Monday at 4:00 p.m. from the Red Hall to the palace chapel. From Tuesday, a wake will be set up there and remain open until the day before the funeral.
