Norway: Funeral service for Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

The funeral service for Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, who died on 11 September 2026, 94 years old, took place today at Ris Church in Oslo. The service was broadcast on national TV (NRK TV) and the church was open to the general public.

The service was officiated by the vicar of the parish of Ris, Paul Erik Wirgenes, and the bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver. There were musical contributions by the choir Sølvgutttene (The Norwegian Broadcasting boys' choir, directly translated into "The Silver Boys") and the artist Sissel Kyrkjebø, with choir.

Finance minister Jens Stoltenberg held a speech on behalf of the government, as the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, is currently in New York City in connection with the UN General Assembly's session. Jens Stoltenberg's father, the late Thorvald Stoltenberg, was in Princess Astrid's circle of friends, so it was quite fitting that he held the eulogy.

The vicar told an amusing story about the princess – at one time she was not satisfied with the scrambled eggs that she had been served at the Palace, so later she was seen in the kitchen telling the chef how to do it properly! The story made members of the royal family laugh. The story reveals something about Princess Astrid’s personality. She was a determined lady with clear views on so many things!

During the service, grandchildren and great-grandchildren placed flowers on the princess's coffin. At the end of the service the coffin was carried out of the church and into the waiting car by King Haakon and Princess Astrid's five children Cathrine, Benedikte, Alexander, Elisabeth and Carl-Christian. After cremation, the urn will be interred at Ris urnelund (Ris Urn Garden) next to her husband's, Johahan Martin Ferner (1927–2015).

Based on newspaper articles, press information given by the courts of Norway, Sweden and Belgium, the historian Trond Norén Isaksen's Facebook page and based on my own observations, the following were among the many people attending the service:

Norway

• King Haakon VIII
• Queen Mette-Marit
• Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra
• Queen Sonja
• Princess Märtha Louise
• Durek Verrett
• Maud Angelica Behn
• Leah Isadora Behn
• Emma Tallulah Behn
• Princess Astrid's children and grandchildren with partners as well as great grandchildren
• Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen's children  Haakon and his wife Martha Lorentzen, Ingeborg Lorentzen Ribeiro and her husband Paulo Ribeiro as well as Ragnhild Lorentzen Long

Sweden

• Crown Princess Victoria

Belgium

• Princess Astrid
• Princess Lorenz

Luxembourg

• Prince Jean

Liechtenstein

• Princess Margaretha, née Princess of Luxembourg and twin sister of  Prince Jean above

Princess Astrid's Danish relatives Count Axel of Rosenborg and Countess Désirée of Rosenborg were also in attendance. Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway had recently left for Portugal to start his studies there and understandably did not travel home for the funeral service.

The Storting (the Norwegian parliament) was represented by its president, Masud Gharahkhani and the Supreme Court by its Chief Justice, Toril Øie. In addition the Lord Chamberlain Olav Heian-Engdal and other members of the court were present, as well as many friends of the late princess.

Updated on Wednesday 23 September 2026 at 21:54 (typo corrected in the first paragraph, while the name of one guest attending, Toril Øie, was added in the last). Updated last time on Thursday 24 September 2026 at 07:39 (one sentence about Princess Ragnhild's children was made more precise).

Norway: Funeral service for Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner to be held on 23 September 2026

An older photo of Ris Church. Photo: The National Library (public domain).

The Norwegian Royal Court announced today that the funeral service for Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, who died last Friday 11 September, 94 years old, will take place at Ris kirke (Ris Church) in Oslo on Wednesday 23 September 2026 at 1 p.m.

Ris Church. Photo: © 2021 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth.

The church service will be broadcast and made available for Norwegian media. Ris Church was consecrated in 1932 and has today around 500 seats.

Princess Astrid's last resting place is expected to be next to her husband at Ris urnelund (Ris Urn Garden) in Oslo.

Ris Urn Garden was opened in 1957. As the name suggests the cemetery is a memorial garden with name plaques and urn graves only. 

Norway: Princess Astrid Mrs. Ferner – time and place of death

In the press release informing about the death of Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner last Friday, 11 September 2026, the Norwegian Royal Court didn't mention exactly when and where she had passed away.

For most people such details are not that important, but for historians and genealogists the time and place of death is valuable biographical and genealogical information.

According to Aftenposten's online version yesterday (13 September 2026 at 09:51), which was picked up by the Danish newspaper B.T. later the same day, the communications director at the Royal Court, Guri Varpe, had told the newspaper that Princess Astrid died at Rikshospitalet at 12:35 (i.e. 35 minutes past noon) on Friday. The press statement dated 11 September 2026 was released at 14:48. 

For the record, Rikshospitalet (The National Hospital) at Gaustad in Oslo merged with Ullevål universitetssykehus (Ullevål University Hospital) and Aker universitetssykehus (Aker University Hospital) under the name Oslo universitetssykehus (Oslo University Hospital) from 1 January 2009. I would say it is up to one and each genealogist whether he or she should write "Oslo universitetssykehus, avd. Rikshospitalet" (Oslo University Hospital, dep. The National Hospital" or just the shorter version, "Rikshospitalet" (The National Hospital).

Norway: Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner (1932–2026)

Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner. Photo: Ola Vatn, The Royal Court.

The Norwegian Royal Court has announced that Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner died today, 11 September 2026, 94 years old. The news of her death came only 2 days after the funeral service for her brother King Harald, and 14 days after his death.

Princess Astrid has passed away

His Majesty The King was deeply saddened to receive the news that Princess Astrid has passed away. The Princess died peacefully today, Friday 11 September, at the age of 94.

The king has decided that a flag will be flown at half staff from the Palace balcony today and on the day of the funeral.

Princess Astrid's children has issued the following statement:

Dear Mum, dear Princess Astrid,

Thank you for being the best mum we could ever have wished for. Throughout our lives, you were always there for us – with love and wisdom, warmth and a wonderful sense of humour. You were there for grandfather King Olav and uncle King Harald – always present, loyal and dutiful. And for those who needed a little extra care, you always showed genuine compassion.

In our grief, we stand together in gratitude.

Thank you for all the wonderful memories. You will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

Your children – Cathrine, Benedikte, Alexander, Elisabeth and Carl-Christian Ferner – and their families.

Statement from King Haakon VIII:

Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner. Att [sic!] just 22 she had to step into the role of First Lady after the death of my grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha. In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly committed to caring for and including the most vulnerable in society. She was deeply loyal and always carried out her duties with dedication, presence and an infectious sense of humour.

Aunt Astrid was an important source of support for King Harald and for the rest of us in the family. We learned a great deal from her, and she was never afraid to speak her mind. Her passing is a great loss to us. We will miss her. My family and I send our warmest thoughts to Aunt Astrid’s closest family and loved ones.

Princess Astrid Maud Ingeborg was born at Villa Solbakken in Aker municipality* on 12 February 1932 at 4.36 a.m. as the second child of the then Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha, née Princess of Sweden.

*Aker was merged with Oslo in 1948.

Birth report. Oslo City Archives.

Villa Solbakken at Skøyen, Aker, where the Crown Prince family lived while Skaugum was being rebuilt after the fire in 1930. Photo: Henriksen & Steen, 1932. Public domain, The National Library of Norway.

The christening took place in the Palace Chapel on 31 March 1932 and was officiated by Bishop Johan Lunde. The sponsors were her grandparents King Haakon VII, Queen Maud, Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden as well as Crown Princess Astrid of Belgium (the Duchess of Brabant, later Queen Astrid of Belgium), the Duchess of York (later known as Queen Elizabeth and finally Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother), Princess Thyra of Denmark, Prince Eugen of Sweden and Prince George of the United Kingdom (later Duke of Kent).

Just married! Princess Astrid and Johan Martin Ferner at Asker Church, 12 January 1961.Photo: Unknown / Oslo City Museum. License: Creative Commons 3.0.

Princess Astrid married at Asker on 12 January 1961 Johan Martin Ferner (1927–2015), the youngest child of Ferner Jacobsen and Ragnhild Olsen. After marriage she lost her style Royal Highness (but Highness could be used abroad) and was to be referred to as Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner. The wedding made some controversy because Johan Martin had been married before, but it turned out to be a happy marriage which lasted until the death of Johan Martin in 2015. Princess Astrid left behind her 5 children, 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

After Princess Astrid lost her mother Crown Princess Märtha in 1954 and because her elder sister Ragnhild had moved to Brazil the year before, Astrid had to serve as the country's first lady until her younger brother Harald married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968. But even after this she continued to make public engagements on behalf of the royal house and was thus a great help to her father King Olav V and later her brother King Harald V. Her last public engagement was on 12 May 2026 when she attended the 100th anniversary of Blindern og Vinderen Sanitetsforening (Blindern and Vinderen Women's Public Health Association). Shortly after she was admitted to the National Hospital because of heart failure and had a pacemaker inserted. Her health gradually improved and she was well enough to attend King Harald's funeral service, but it is possible that she used her last energy to be present. 

She will long be remembered for her sense of duty and commitment, good humor and warmth.

Information about the funeral service will be given later. Her last resting place is expected to be next to her husband at Ris urnelund (Ris Urn Garden) in Oslo.

Selected statements and obituaries following Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner's death (all in Norwegian):

• Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre
• President of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani
• En prinsesse og fire konger (Trond Norén Isaksen, Aftenposten.no 11 September 2026)

Postscript 14 September 2026: It should be stressed that the sentence starting with "Her health gradually improved" should only be understood in the context of being able to attend the the defiling in the Palace Chapel and funeral service in Oslo Cathedral, not that her health in general was good.

Updated on 14 September 2026 at 14:47 (postscript added).  

Norway: Funeral service for King Harald V. Guest list

The funeral service for King Harald V of Norway, who died on 28 August 2026, took place in Oslo domkirke (Oslo Cathedral) yesterday, 9 September 2026 at 1 p.m.

The funeral service was officiated by the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit, assisted by the Bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver. Cathedral Cantor Marcus André Berg, the Oslo Cathedral Choir, and others also participated. The president of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani, and the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, held memorial speeches, while Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden said the prayer for peace (attributed to Francis of Assisi) (in Swedish), while Mathis Eira read a bible text (John 10:14, 28–29) in North Sami. More details about the ceremony can be read in the program here (pdf).

Procession

King Harald V's coffin left the Royal Palace at noon and was taken in procession to Oslo Cathedral. The format of the procession was:

• Mounted police
• The Royal Norwegian Guard's Signal Corps and the Norwegian Armed Forces Staff Band
• The Royal Norwegian Guard's standard with mourning cloth and standard guard
• Honorary Company (His Majesty the King's Guard)
• Chief of the Court Olav Heian-Engdal
• King Harald V's coffin on a palanquin flanked by His Majesty the King's Adjutant's Staff
• HM King Haakon VIII, HRH Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Märtha Louise
• HM Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja in A2 (car)
• Foreign royalty (see below)
• President of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Supreme Court Justice Toril Øie
• Visiting heads of state or their representatives (see below)
• The Government and Government Council
• Presidency of the Storting
• Representatives of the Supreme Court
• The Speaker of the Sami Parliament and the President of the Sami Parliament, State administrators and the Governor of Svalbard
• Mayor of Oslo Anne Lindboe
• Royal Court senior officials
• Senior representatives of the Armed Forces 

Visiting royals in the procession

• HM King Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden
• HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
• HRH Prince Daniel of Sweden
• HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden
• HRH Princess Sofia of Sweden
• HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden
• Christopher O’Neill
• HM King Abdullah of Jordan
• HM Queen Rania of Jordan
• HSH Prince Albert II av Monaco
• HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco
• HM King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
• HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
• HRH The Princess of Orange (Princess Catharina-Amalia)
• HM King Philippe of Belgium
• HM Queen Mathilde of Belgium
• HM King Felipe of Spain
• HM Queen Letizia of Spain
• HM King Frederik of Denmark
• HM Queen Mary of Denmark
• HRH Crown Prince Christian of Denmark
• HRH Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg
• HRH Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg
• HRH Grand Duke Henri (Emeritus) of Luxembourg
• HSH Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein
• HRH Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
• HRH Crown Prince Fumihito Akishino of Japan
• HRH Crown Princess Kiko Akishino of Japan
• HRH The Prince of Wales (Prince William)
• HRH The Princess Royal (Princess Anne)
• HRH Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece

Non-royal foreign Heads of State in the procession

• Germany: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
• Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• Lithuania: President Gitanas Nausėda
• Moldova: President Maia Sandu
• Estonia: President Alar Karis
• Albania: President Bajram Begaj
• Canada: Governor General Louise Arbour
• Slovenia: President Nataša Pirc Musar
• The Czech Republic: President Petr Pavel
• Latvia: President Edgars Rinkēvičs
• Finland: President Alexander Stubb
• Iceland: President Halla Tómasdóttir
• Georgia: President Mikheil Kavelashvili
• Greece: President Konstantinos Tasoulas
• Poland: President Karol Nawrocki
• Ireland: President Catherine Connolly
• Hungary: President András Baka

Prime ministers

• Denmark: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
• Morocco: Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch
• Sweden: Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
• Thailand: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul
• France: Sébastien Lecornu

Guest list

I have tried to compile a guest list for the funeral service based on the list published at the Government website (pdf), newspaper surveys including VG's list, calendars and press releases of various royal and princely houses and press agencies. Oslo Cathedral has around 930 seats, but I have focused on the official represenatives of the various countries as well as the closest relatives of the royal family of Norway.

Norway

King Haakon VIII

Queen Mette-Marit

Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra

Prince Sverre Magnus

Queen Sonja

Princess Märtha Louise

Durek Verrett

Princess Astrid Mrs. Ferner

Maud Angelica Behn

Leah Isadora Behn

Emma Tallulah Behn

Marius Borg Høiby

Members of the Haraldsen, Ulrichsen, Lorentzen, Ferner, Høiby, Tjessem, Behn and Verrett families.

Some of the titles are unofficial, such as "First lady" or "First gentleman", and should be regarded as a description only.

Albania

President Bajram Begaj

First lady Armanda Begaj

Algeria

Ambassador Feriel Ryma Yousfi-Ighil

Angola

Ambassador Alcino Isata Conceiçaõ.

Argentina

Ambassador Claudio Giacomino

Australia

Ambassador Dave Matthew Vosen

Austria

President of the Federal Council, Christine Schwarz-Fuchs 

Belgium

King Philippe

Dronning Mathilde

Brazil

Ambassador Rodrigo de Azeredo Santos

Bosnia-Hercegovina

Ambassadør Hoda Dedić

Bulgaria

Ambassador Tsvetana Krasteva

Canada

Governor General Louise Arbour

Colombia

Luis Antonio Dimaté Cárdenas

Chile

Ambassador Helmut Lagos Koller

China

Ambassador Zhou Jingxing

Croatia

Gordan Grlić Radman

Cuba

Ambassador Hugo Ramos Milanés

Cyprus

Ambassador Doros Venezis

Czech Republic

President Petr Pavel

Denmark

King Frederik X

Queen Mary

Crown Prince Christian

Princess Benedikte (also Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg)

Count Axel of Rosenborg

Countess Jutta of Rosenborg

Count Carl Johan (the elder) of Rosenborg

Countess Vanessa of Rosenborg

Count Carl Johan (the younger) of Rosenborg

Countess Sidsel of Rosenborg

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen

Egypt

Ambassador Gamal A. Metwally

El Salvador

Ambassador Claudia Beatriz del Carmen Beltrán Gálvez

Estonia

President Alar Karis

First lady Sirje Karis

EU

Ambassador-designate  Peter van Kemseke

Finland

President Alexander Stubb

First lady Suzanne Ines-Stubb

France

Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu

Georgia

President Mikheil Kavelashvili

First lady Tamar Bagratoni (member of a junior branch of the royal house of Bagratoni)

Germany

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

First lady Elke Büdenbender

Ghana

Foreign secretary Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

Greece

President Konstantinos Tasoulas

The Holy See

Cardinal Christophe Pierre

Archbishop Julio Murat, Ambassador to Norway

Hungary

President András Baka

India

Ambassador Gloria Gangte

Indonesia

Ambassador Teuku Faizasyah

Iran

Ambassador Alireza Jahangiri

Iraq

Ambassador Ali Yassin Mohammed Karim

Ireland

President Catherine Connolly

First gentleman Brian McEnery

Iceland

President Halla Tómasdóttir

First gentleman Björn Skúlason

Italy

Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti

Iraq

Ambassador Ali Yassin Mohammed Karim Al-Rahmani

Israel

Chargé d'affaires Eytan Halon

Japan

Crown Prince Akishino

Crown Princess Kiko

Jordan

King Abdullah

Queen Rania

Kazakhstan

Ambassador Adil Tursunov

Kosovo

Ambassador Nita Luci

Latvia

President Edgars Rinkēvičs

Lesotho

Ambassador Nts'ebo Moshoeshoe (surely related to the royal house, which dynastic name is Moshoeshoe)

Liechtenstein

Hereditary Prince Alois

Hereditary Princess Sophie

Lithuania

President Gitanas Nauseda

First lady Diana Nausédiené

Luxembourg

Grand Duke Guillaume

Grand Duchess Stéphanie

Grand Duke Henri

Malta

Ambassador Marlene Mizzi

Mexico

Ambassador Omar Fayad Meneses

Moldova

President Maia Sandu

Monaco

Prince Albert

Princess Charlene

Montenegro

Vice President of the Parliament Ervin Ibrahimovic

Morocco

Prime minister Aziz Akhannouch

Myanmar

Chargé d'affaires Yin Po Myat

The Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander

Queen Máxima

The Princess of Orange (Catharina-Amalia)

Princess Beatrix

North Macedonia

Ambassador Driton Kuqi

Pakistan

Minister of Communications Abdul Aleem Khan

Palestine

Ambassador Marie Antoinette Sedin

Peru

Ambassador Rolando Ruiz Rosas Cateirano.

The Philippines

Ambassador Enrico T. Fos

Poland

President Karol Nawrocki

Portugal

Foreign secretary Paulo Rangel

Qatar

First secretary at the embassy, Fatima Al-Mohannadi

Romania

Foreign secretary Oana Țoiu

Russia

Ambassador Nikolay Korchunov

Saudi Arabia

Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammed Al Saud (grandson of the late King Fahd)

Slovakia

Deputy prime minister Tomáš Taraba

Slovenia

President Nataša Pirc Musar

First gentleeman Aleš Musar

South Korea

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nam In-soon

Spain

King Felipe

Queen Letizia

Queen Sofia

South Africa

Ambassador Delores Camilla Kotzé

Sudan

Ambassador Kamal Bashir Ahmed Mohamed Khair

Switzerland

Former president Viola Amherd

Sweden

King Carl Gustaf

Queen Silvia

Crown Princess Victoria

Prince Daniel

Prince Carl Philip

Princess Sofia

Princess Madeleine

Chris O'Neill

Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson

Tord Magnuson

Madeleine Kogevinas (King Harald's first cousin)

Bernhard Mach

Desirée Kogevinas

Countess Marie-Christine Ullens de Schooten

Prime minister Ulf Kristersson

Thailand

Prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul

Tunisia

Foreign secretary Mohamed Ali Nafti

Turkey

Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay

Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

First lady Olena Zelenska

United Arab Emirates

Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubak Al Nahyan

United Kingdom

The Prince of Wales (Prince William)

The Princess Royal (Princess Anne)

USA

Under Secretary of State for foreign affairs Allison Hooker

Vietnam

Ambassador Le Thi Thu

(Please tell if I have missed someone!)

Former monarchies

Bulgaria

Prince Kyril, Prince of Preslav

Katharine Butler (partner of the former)

Rosario Nadal (former wife of Prince Kyril, sponsor of Prince Sverre Magnus)

Greece

Crown Prince Pavlos

Queen Anne Marie

Princess Alexia 

Carlos Morales Quintana

Prince Nikolaos

Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (daughter of Princess Benedikte of Denmark)

Serbia

Crown Prince Alexander

Crown Princess Katherine

Official Norway

President of the Storting, President Masud Gharahkhani and all the members of the Storting
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and his Government
Former prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik
Former prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland
Former foreign ministers
Various former politicians
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Toril Øie and other members of the Supreme Court
Mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe
Chief of Defence Eirik Kristoffersen
The county mayors
The Bishops of Norway and former bishops of Oslo, including Andreas Aarflot, who officiated the funeral of King Olav V in 1991 and Gunnar Stålsett, who officiated the wedding of King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit, in 2001
Leading members of Sametinget (the Sami Parliament) and former presidents

Other

Representatives of other churches and religious communities
Representatives of minorities (Kvens, Roma, Romani)
Representatives of various royal patronages
Several heads of different organisations and associations
Several sports leaders and administrators
Several former and present athletes
Several actors
Friends of King Harald and Queen Sonja
Friends of King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit

Procession to Akershus Castle Church

After the funeral, the coffin was taken in procession to Akershus Castle Church. Included in the procession were:

• Mounted police
• The Royal Norwegian Guard's Signal Corps and the Norwegian Armed Forces Staff Band
• The Royal Norwegian Guard's standard with mourning cloth and standard guard
• Honorary Company (His Majesty the King's Guard)
• Chief of the Court Olav Heian-Engdal
• Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit
• King Harald V's coffin on a palanquin flanked by His Majesty the King's Adjutant's Staff
• HM King Haakon together with HM King Carl Gustaf of Sweden and HM King Frederik of Denmark
• The President of the Storting, the Prime minister and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
• Leading members of the court
• A large group of cars with other guests (17 cars, I think)

In the castle church there was a private ceremony for the royal family and royal guests. The President of the Storting, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the presidents of Iceland and Finland were also present.

The coffin was then lowered into the crypt in the Castle Church. Later the coffin was to be carried into the Royal Mausoleum (which is not in the crypt, but forms a protrusion from the crypt) and placed in the new sarcophagus. Prior to King Harald's funeral the Royal Mausoleum consisted of the sarcophaguses of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud and of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha. See Slektshistoriewiki for more details (in Norwegian) and photos. Details of King Harald's sarcophagus will be given later.

After the ceremony in Akershus Castle Church, the king and queen came out into the courtyard of Akershus Fortress. Flags flying at half staff were raised to full staff and a double royal salute (21 x 2 shots) was fired. At the same time, church bells throughout Norway rang for one hour.

Then King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus were driven back to the Royal Palace along the same route that the procession had taken.

Some minutes before 5 p.m. they came out on the balcony to greet the people. Afterwards the king and queen  held a reception for representatives of official Norway, visiting heads of state, royals and family.

© 2026 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth.

Updated on Friday 11 September 2026 at 08:40 (misspelt name corrected). Last time updated on Monday 21 September 2026 at 19:01 (title of Egypt's Gamal A. Metwally, Iran's Alireza Jahangiri and Malta's Marlene Mizzi had "fallen out" of the list); 21 September 2026 at 21:30 (typo corrected).

Norway: King Haakon declares court mourning

Ever since the news of King Harald's death last Friday I have been wondering about when or if King Haakon would declare court mourning. Today came the answer.

According to today's press statement, the court mourning will last until 9 October 2026, a month after the funeral service.

During this period all public engagements are cancelled, with the exception of constitutional dutites such as presiding over the Council of State, the State Opening of the Storting and selected audiences (formal audiences). During the period of court mouorning, members of the Royal Family and members of the Royal Household staff will wear dark clothing or uniforms with mourning armbands. Public access to the royal estates will be suspended during this time.

After 9 October, the Royal House will gradually resume its official schedule. As a general rule, visits and activities in Norway and abroad that were being planned during King Harald’s reign have been cancelled, and the Royal House’s official schedule is going to be reorganized.

In January 1991 when King Olav V died, King Harald V declared a 4 months long period of court mourning, lasting from 17 January 1991 until the day before the Constitutional Day celebrations. The strict court mourning was eased a bit during the last month – the newspapers at the time wrote that the period of court mourning was to last four months, three of which were declared as "strict court mourning".

Both King Harald and Queen Sonja were present when Finn Wagle was consecrated as bishop in Nidaros Cathedral on 28 April 1991. The consecration of the bishop was regarded as their first public engagement since the death of King Harald. Wagle was the bishop who officiated the concecration ceremony (benediction ceremony) for the royal couple on 23 June 1991.

Norway: Oath of Allegiance ceremony

In a short ceremony at the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) today, King Haakon VIII took the Oath of Allegiance. The King was driven in an open car – the same he used at his wedding in 2001 – from the Palace to the Storting. Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Queen Sonja came before him in a separate car. Queen Mette-Marit had to cancel her presence because of complications following her lung transplant this spring and which had to be monitored.

The President of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani, read the official announcement of the death of King Harald V, before the king took the Oath of Allegiance in accordance with the Constitution article 9 before the Storting and gave a short address. The President of the Storting then held a speech in remembrance of King Harald V and gave an address to King Haakon VIII. The ceremony was closed with the Royal Anthem. 

President of the Storting,

I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and Laws; so help me God, the Almighty and Omniscient.

President of the Storting,

At the first meeting between the elected representatives of the people and me as King of Norway, I would like to express the hope that the good relationship which have been between the Storting and my father, King Harald, my grandfather, King Olav, and my great-grandfather, King Haakon, can be maintained and then developed in line with the tasks the country will face in the future.

The Queen and I wish to affirm that we place ourselves at the service of our country and people. In keeping with this tradition, I, too, as King of Norway, have adopted the motto ‘All for Norway’.

The President of the Storting's speech can be read (in Norwegian) here. See also NRK's article and broadcast.

After the ceremony in the Storting, just before 2 p.m., Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra took the Oath of Allegiance in writing at the Royal Palace. The signed document was then delivered to the President of the Storting by the Lord Chamberlain. The Crown Princess took the oath in accordance with the Constitution article 44 in order to be able to serve as Regent when her father the king is abroad or on sick leave.

In the next Council of State the king will inform his government that the oath has been signed by the Crown Princess. Her oath will then be notified to the first Storting in session (30 September) and be entered in the record of its proceedings. See articles at the official websites of the Royal House and of the Storting.

Updated on Wednesday 2 September 2026 at 07:43 (timing of the Crown Princess' oath taking corrected from prior to after the oath ceremony in the Storting.)