Norway is holding a state funeral Wednesday for King Harald V, who died last week at age 89, bringing to a close 13 days of national mourning for a monarch whose three-decade reign was marked by progressive reforms. The elaborate ceremonies will culminate with the king's interment at Akershus Fortress, where he will be laid to rest alongside his parents in the royal crypt. Norwegian police have described the security operation as the largest in the force's history.
Hundreds of thousands of citizens have already visited the Royal Palace grounds in Oslo to lay flowers and light memorial candles, while schoolchildren received permission to miss classes to participate in the historic day. A central procession will depart the palace for Oslo Cathedral at noon local time, followed by a religious service at 1:00 PM that will open with a nationwide minute of silence. Later in the day, the coffin will be transferred to the royal crypt at Akershus Fortress.
Leaders from around the world will attend the funeral, including Prince William and Princess Anne from Britain, Crown Prince Akishino of Japan, King Felipe and the Spanish royal family, and the monarchs of Sweden and Denmark. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived earlier for political meetings, is also expected to attend. Queen Mette-Marit will arrive by car alongside Queen Mother Sonja due to her ongoing recovery from a lung transplant.
Her son Marius Borg Høiby is also expetced to attend. He is under house arrest with electronic monitoring following a conviction for violence, and this continues to generate public debate. When the new King Haakon emerges from the crypt following the interment ceremony, the 13-day period of national mourning will officially end and flags at half-staff will be raised.
A recent poll indicates stable support for the Norwegian monarchy at 72 percent.
