Norway: King Harald's bier has been transferred to the Palace Chapel

King Harald’s bier has been resting in Den røde salong (The Red Salon, could also translate it into The Red Drawing Room) since its transfer from Rikshospitalet (The National Hospital) last Friday. Today the bier was moved onto a catafalque and draped with Kongeflagget (The Royal Standard, could also be translated into The Royal Banner).

At 4 p.m. today the bier was moved from the Red Salon through various rooms in the Royal Palace to the Palace Chapel. The bier was carried (or rather the catafalque on wheels was pushed lightly) by the children and grandchildren of King Harald V – King Haakon VII, Prince Sverre Magnus, Maud Angelica Behn and Marius Borg Høiby (stepgrandchild) on the left side and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Princess Märtha Louise, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn on the right side. Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja walked behind the bier. The Lord Chamberlain, Olav Heian-Engdal, walked in front of the bier, carrying the Royal Crown on a cushion, while the Head of the Royal Secretariat, Gry Høeg Ulverud, carried the Sword of State. Other leading members of the court carried King Harald's foremost Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and British orders.

Court and staff members formed an honor guard through the Palace rooms and joined the procession after King Harald’s bier had passed.

The corps of aides-de-camp took over the bier in Store festsal (The Great Banquet Hall) and brought it to the Palace Chapel. The bier was then placed on a velvet-covered catafalque, surrounded by wreaths and floral hearts from the family. The Royal Crown and the Sword of State were placed upon the bier, while the orders were placed at the foot of the bier. Afterwards followed a private memorial service for the royal family and members of the court and staff as well as the aides-de-camp.

The transfer of the bier was broadcast on TV, among others on NRK TV. After the memorial service, King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja and Princess Märtha Louise came out to the Palace Square where they laid down roses, looked at the sea of ​​flowers, and read some of the cards. They were visibly moved by what they saw. The crowd sang the national anthem and applauded before the royals returned inside the palace. See the coverage (with photos) by VG.

As I have mentioned earlier, tomorrow 1 September from 2 p.m. until 8 September at 6 p.m. it will be possible for the public to file past the coffin in the Palace Chapel. The Royal Court has issued details about the filing (in Norwegian only) in a press relase today.

Norway: Princess Ingrid Alexandra's confirmation

Princess Ingrid Alexandra's confirmation will take place in the Palace Chapel in Oslo on Saturday 31 August 2019 at noon.

The princess has received her confirmation instruction at the Asker Church congregation under the direction of Provost Tor Øystein Våland and Vicar Karoline Astrup. The confirmation service in the Palace Chapel will be officiated by the Bishop of Oslo, Kari Veiteberg, and the Praeses of the Norwegian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Helga Haugland Byfuglien.

After the confirmation service, Princess Ingrid Alexandra's grandparents King Harald and Queen Sonja will host a luncheon in the Banqueting Hall of the Royal Palace.

Guest list
The Royal Palace released today part of the guest list:

The part of the guest released to the public is limited to members of the royal family, sponsors, other family members of the princess, the official Norway, the Church of Norway, the Diplomatic Corps and various organisations.

The Royal Family

• King Harald (sponsor)
• Queen Sonja
• Crown Prince Haakon
• Crown Princess Mette-Marit
• Princess Ingrid Alexandra
• Prince Sverre Magnus
• Marius Borg Høiby
• Princess Märtha Louise (sponsor)
• Maud Angelica Behn
• Leah Isadora Behn
• Emma Tallulah Behn
• Princess Astrid Mrs. Ferner

Other sponsors

• King Felipe of Spain
• Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark 
• Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
• Marit Tjessem

Other royals

• Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
• Prince Christian of Denmark

The official Norway

• President of the Storting Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen and Per Kristian Trøen
• Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Sindre Finnes
• Chief Jusstice of the Supreme Court Toril Marie Øie and Rune Brekke
• First Vice President of the Storting Eva Kristin Hansen
• Finance Minister Siv Jensen
• Culture minister Trine Skei Grande
• Children and Families Minister Kjell Ingolf Ropstad
• Second Vice President of the Storting Morten Wold
• Third Vice President of the Storting Magne Rommetveit 
• Fourth Vice President of the Storting Nils T. Bjørke
• Fifth Vice President of the Storting Abid Q. Raja
• Parlamentary leader Trond Helleland
• Parlamentary leader Hans Fredrik Grøvan
• Parlamentary leader Marit Arnstad
• Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum
• Plenary leader of Sametinget (Sámi Parliament) Tom Sottinen
• President of Sametinget (Sámi Parliament) Aili Keskitalo
• Permanent Secretary to the Government Anne Nafstad Lyftingsmo
• County Governor Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
• The mayor of Oslo, Marianne Borgen
• The mayor of Asker, Lene Conradi
• Chief of Defence, Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen
• Commander of His Majesty The King's Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Vegard Flom 
• National Police Commissioner Benedicte Bjørnland
• Police Commissioner of Oslo Beate Gangås
• Chief of the Royal Police Escort, Roy Hagen-Larsen

Diplomatic corps

• Ambassador of Myanmar, Maw Maw, doyen (dean)
• Ambassador of Sweden, Krister Bringéus
• Ambassador of Denmark, Jarl Kåre Frijs-Madsen
• Ambassador of Spain, Maria Isabel Vicandi

The Church of Norway and other religious communities

• The Praeses of the Norwegian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Helga Haugland Byfuglien
• Bishop Kari Veiteberg
• Cathedral cantor (domskantor) Kåre Nordstoga
• Provost of Asker Tor Øystein Vaaland 
• Vicar of Asker Karoline Astrup
• Head of the Church Council Kristin Gunleiksrud Raaum
• Chairperson of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities, Britt Strandlie Thoresen
• General Secretary of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities, Ingrid Rosendorf Joys
• Youth Representative of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities and the Muslim Dialogue Network, Yasmine Fatima Angell Morchid
• Youth representative of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities, board member of Norway's Young Catholics, Martin Bao Anh Vo 
• Youth representative of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities
• Youth representative of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities, commitee member Norwegian Humanist Youth, Iver Daaland Åse 
• Head of the Church Council's Commitee for youths, Ufung, Silje Håve Smørvik
• Bishop emeritus Gunnar Stålsett and Unn Stålsett

Organisations

• Chief executive officer Ole Erik Almlid, NHO (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise)
• Chairperson Hans Christian Gabrielsen, LO (Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions)
• Chairperson Rode Margrete Hegstad, LNU (The Norwegian Children and Youth Council)
• Chief agent Are Shaw Waage,  Miljøagentene (The Eco-Agents)

Family

• Juliane Snekkestad (partner of Marius Borg Høiby)
• Espen and Renate Høiby with children
• Christian Høiby
• Ina Høiby and Mads Hvilshøj
• Tuva Høiby
• Per Høiby and Louise Dedichen
• Anette Bastviken
• Susanne K. Dedichen Bastviken
• Julie Høiby and Teodor C-G Teigen
• Joachim Høiby and June Bolme
• Kristin Høiby
• Kamilla Høiby Bjørnøy
• Maria Viig Bjørnøy and Are Hoel
• Anniken Høiby Bjørnøy
• Erling Lorentzen (widower of Princess Ragnhild) and his partner, Ebba Løvenskiold
• Cathrine Ferner Johansen (eldest daughter of Princess Astrid) and Arild Johansen
• Lis Haraldsen (sister-in-law of Queen Sonja)
• Ian Swanstrøm (niece of Queen Sonja) and Carl Christian Dahl
• Tom Ivar Junker
• Janne Cecilie Junker
• Elsie Sargeant

Erling Lorentzen, the widower of Princess Ragnhild, used to be listed in the Royal Family section also after his wife's death, but seems to have been removed 3–4 years ago, probably when he got a new partner.

Updated last time on Friday 30 August 2019 at 00.20 (minor correction).

Norway: New Lord Chamberlain at the Royal Court

Photo: Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen, The Royal Court.

In the Council of State last Friday, 13 March 2015, the King formally appointed the Lord Chamberlain at the Royal Court, Åge Bernhard Grutle, as the new Norwegian Ambassador to Helsinki, Finland. Skrutle, b. 1952, has been in his post at the Royal Court frpom 2009. His starting date for taking over the new post as Ambassador has yet to be decided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a press release the same day the Royal Court informed that the new Lord Chamberlain, to take office in the summer of 2015, will be the current head of the the Royal Secretariat, Chief of Staff Gry Mølleskog (b. 1962). She has been in that position since September 2012, but has also served as the Chief of Staff for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess from 2003 to 2006. Mølleskog, who comes from Bodø in the county of Nordland, has studied at the Norwegian Business School (Executive Master of Management) and has according to Linkedin an impressive CV with lots of business and leadership experience as well as many positions in various boards of directors. She has among others been Senior Vice President of SAS and Senior Client Partner in the international recruiting company Korn Ferry, where she was an consultant in recruiting and reorganisation processes for high ranking executives in larger businesses in Europe and the United States.

Mølleskog becomes the first female Lord Chamberlain at the Royal Norwegian Court and according to Nrk.no also the first female Lord Chamberlain among the European courts. Mølleskog has since 1983 been married to Thoralf Granerød, who is an associate partner at the consulting company First House (of which Per Høiby, Crown Princess Mette-Marit's brother, is the managing partner), and has one daughter.

In the same Council of State last Friday former communication director at the Royal Court, Astrid Versto, was appointed as the new Ambassador to Zagreb, Croatia. She is currently Head of Communications (development cooperation) at the MFA. Versto was at the Royal Court from 2005 to 2008.

(This blog article should of course have been posted last Friday, but as the deadline for submitting articles to Genealogen, the newsletter of the Norwegian Genealogical Society, expired on Sunday, I had to concentrate on finishing my contributions. But at least one of the articles, if accepted by the editior, will be royalty-related ...)

Updated on Wednesday 18 March 2015 at 08.30.

Confirmation of Marius Borg Høiby

Marius Borg Høiby, the son of HRH Crown Prince Mette-Marit of Norway and Morten Borg, was confirmed in Asker Church today, 2 September 2012. Besides the Crown Prince family, the confirmation service was attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja.

Go to the online versions of Budstikka, VG and Dagbladet for articles and photos covering the event.