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: 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: Funeral service of King Olav V 30 January 1991. Guest list

King Olav V, 1957. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

King Olav V of Norway died at Kongsseteren, Oslo on Thursday 17 January 1991, 87 years old. The funeral service took place at Oslo domkirke (Oslo Cathedral) on Wednesday 30 January 1991.

Yesterday I replied to a question about the guests at the funeral in the formu Nobiliana and thought it would make sense to publish my compiled list here too. Please note that the complete list was never published in any newspapers as far as I know. I might get a copy if I asked the information department at the Royal Palace. but as they have their hands tied up at present with preparing the funeral service for King Olav's son King Harald V next Wednesday, I think the list I have compiled contain the most important names for those interested in royalty.

Royal or presidential heads of state, other royals and dignitaries as well as ambassadors from as many as 103 nations were represented at the funeral. Obviously the list would be too long and tiresome if I should list everyone present.

The list is based on newspapers reports, mainly Aftenposten, VG and Dagbladet, from the days around the funeral. The service was officiated by Bishop of Oslo, Andreas Aarflot.

There was a reception at the Royal Palace after the funeral service. In the evening King Harald and Queen Sonja hosted a dinner for selected guests at Skaugum in Asker.

Monarchies

Norway

King Harald V
Queen Sonja

Crown Prince Haakon

Princess Märtha Louise
Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen

Erling Lorentzen

Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

Johan Martin Ferner

There were also members of the Haraldsen, Lorentzen (except for Ingeborg and Paul Ribeiro) and Ferner families, as well as friends of King Olav and of King Harald and Queen Sonja. Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and President of the Storting, Jo Benkow, were present together with other politicians and representatives of the official Norway.

Belgium

King Baudouin
Queen Fabiola

Canada

Governor General of Canada, Ramon Hnatyshyn

Denmark

Queen Margrethe
Prince Henrik
Prince Joachim
Queen Ingrid
Count Flemming and Countess Ruth of Rosenborg
Count Christian and Countess Anne Dorthe of Rosenborg
Prime Minister Poul Schlüter

(Crown Prince Frederik stayed in Denmark to act as regent.)

Japan

Crown Prince Naruhito

Kuwait

Minister of education, Ali Abdullah Al-Shamlan (i.e. not a member of the ruling family)

Lesotho

Colonel Molise Mokete (I don't think that belonged to the royal family)

Liechtenstein

Prince Hans-Adam II

Luxembourg

Grand Duke Jean
Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte

Monaco

Prince Albert

The Netherlands

Queen Beatrix
Princess Juliana

Spain

King Juan Carlos
Queen Sofia
The Count of Barcelona (the King's father)

Swaziland

Prince Obed Dlamini, Prime Minister

(Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini in 2018.)

Sweden

King Carl Gustaf
Queen Silvia
Prince Bertil and Princess Lilian

Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld 

Baron (Friherra) Niclas Silfverschiöld

Princess Christina Mrs. Magnuson 

Tord Magnuson

Prince Carl Bernadotte (uncle of King Harald V)

Princess Kristine Bernadotte
Madeleine Bernadotte Kogevinas

Nicholas Kogevinas

Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson

Thailand

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn

United Kingdom

The Prince of Wales (Prince Charles)
The Princess Royal (Princess Anne)
Lady Elizabeth Anson (stepdaughter of Prince Georg of Denmark)
Lady Alexandra Clare Carnegie

David Charles Carnegie, Earl of Macduff

Former monarchies

Greece

King Constantine II
Queen Anne-Marie

Romania

King Michael
Queen Anne

(The blog The Royal Watcher writes that a woman photographed together with Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and the Count of Barcelona was "the Princess of Hanover", which at the time would be Princess Chantal, then married to Prince Ernst August of Hannover, but it is difficult to know as the photo is not that good. I am not ruling it out, but no newspapers mentioned her in their coverage.)

Yugoslavia

Crown Prince Alexander

Republics

Botswana 

President Quett Masire

Cameroon

President Paul Biya

Czechoslovakia

Chairman of the Federal Assembly, Alexander Dubček

Finland

President Mauno Koivisto
First Lady Tellervo Koivisto, née Kankaanranta

France 

Prime Minister Michel Rocard

Germany

President Richard von Weizsäcker

Hungary

Deputy speaker of the national assembly, Alajos Dornbach

Iceland

President Vigdis Finnbogadóttir

Ireland

President Mary Robinson

Malta

President Ċensu Tabone 

First lady Maria Tabone, née Wirth

Mauretania

Minister of Industry, Boulla Ould Mogueya

Portugal

President Mario Soares

The Soviet Union

Vice President Gennady Yanayev

Tanzania

2nd Vice President Salmin Amour 

USA

Second Lady Marilyn Quayle 

(The Vice President, Dan Quayle, got delayed and missed the funeral service.)

Yugoslavia

President Borislav Jovic

Zambia

President Kenneth Kaunda

The article was updated on 1 September 2026 at 22:07 (a few names added, cf. a contribution to the Nobiliana forum based om the book "Dronningen vi ikke fikk" by Trond Norén Isaksen. Last time updated on 2 September 2026 at 10:27 (incorrect name spelling).

Norway: Queen Sonja to have a pacemaker implanted

The Norwegian Royal Court announced on Sunday 12 January 2025 that Queen Sonja of Norway the same day had been admitted to Lillehammer Hospital for observation after experiencing heart fibrillation while skiing. Her situation was not regarded as serious, and she was discharged the next day. By then her heart rate had gone back to normal.

The court announced today that Queen Sonja was to be admitted to Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital) in Oslo on Wednesday 15 January in order to get a pacemaker implanted the day after. She is expected to remain in hospital a day or two after the procedure has taken place.

Norway: A project to build a sarcophagus for King Harald and Queen Sonja has been started

© 2019 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth 

In the Norwegian government's proposal for the state budget 2025, which was presented today, the government has proposed to allocate NOK 20 million in project funds for the acquisition of a sarcophagus. The acquisition is carried out by the Royal Court.

The sacrophagus will be used as the final resting place for the king and queen in The Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Palace. Snøhetta, which among others was beind the Opera House in Oslo, has been chosen to design the sarcophagus. According to today's press release from the Royal Court, the status of the project is that the work "to design the sarcophagus has begun in an early phase".

The mausoleum was inaugurated in 1949 and includes the double sarcophaguses of King Haakon and Queen Maud (in white marble, see the photo above) and King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha (in dark green marble). The coffin of Queen Maud was after her funeral kept at Akershus, where it waited for the construction of the mausoleum, which is a additio to the Akershus Castle Church. Due to the war the work was stopped and was not finished before 1948. The work on the sacropahgus was, however, not finished before the year after. In December 1949 Queen Maud's coffin was brought from the crypt of Gamle Aker Church, where it had been kept since Apri 1940, to Akershus Castle.  

For more details (in Norwegian) and photos of the mausoleum please read the article "Det kongelige mausoleum" at Slektshistoriewiki (the Norwegian genealogy wiki).

UK: The Princess Royal in Norway

The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) is currently visiting Norway as Patron of the Anglo-Norwegian Resistance Commemoration Project.. For the most part the visit is "private", but she will nevertheless have one official engagement together with Crown Prince Haakon.

Princess Anne must have arrived some time yesterday, because late last night the British Embassy published photos from her visit to the Norwegian Folk Museum and Gol Stave Church. By coincidence I was at the Folk Museum yesterday together with my wife and two friends from the United States, but Princess Anne must have been there after our visit, most likely after the official opening hours.

Today the princess traveled to Vemork in Telemark county to visit the Industrial Workers Museum and to lay a posy on the memorial to Operation Gunnerside. Later she attended a reception at the British Ambassador's Residence in Thomas Heftyes gate in Oslo where she planted a tree and also met among others people linked to the above-mentioned Anglo-Norwegian Resistance Commemoration Project. Tonight she will have dinner with the King of Norway and other royal family members at the Royal Palace.

On Wednesday 22 May Princess Anne will visit Vestre gravlund (Vestre Cemetery) in Oslo to lay a wreath at the war graves there. This part of the visit is also deemed private and for security reasons the Embassy could not tell me the exact time she was going to be there, but I gather it will be before her visit to Akershus Fortress to meet members of the Norwegian Armed Forces and then the Resistance Museum together with Crown Prince Haakon at 1 p.m.

Sources:

• Kongehuset.no 8 May 2024.
• VG.no 18 May 2024, updated on 21 May 2024 (in Norwegian)
• Royal Life Magazine 20 May 2024
• VG.no 21 May 2024 (about the visit to Vemork, in Norwegian)

Norway: King Harald back in business

King Harald was last week on sick leave due to a respiratory infection. He had intended to attend Landskytterstevnet Innendørs, the Norwegian indoors rifle championship at Stjørdal yesterday, but had to cancel. Originally the sick leave was to end after Friday 2 February. During his sick leave, Crown Prince Haakon took over his father's duties as regent.

Tonight the king was back in business as he attended a meeting in Oslo Militære Samfund («Oslo Military Society»), where the Norwegian defence minister Bjørn Arild Gram held a speech on the current status and challenges in the defence sector.

Norway: Statement by King Harald on the occasion of the shooting tragedy in central Oslo

Following the shootings outside Per på Hjørnet and London Pub in central Oslo last night, where two people were killed and 21 people were injured, King Harald of Norway issued the following statement:

Skytetragedien i Oslo sentrum

Uttalelse fra Hans Majestet Kong Harald i anledning skytetragedien i Oslo sentrum.

25.06.2022

Familien min og jeg er forferdet over nattens skytetragedie i Oslo sentrum, der to mennesker ble drept og mange skadet. Vi føler med alle pårørende og berørte og sender varme tanker til alle som nå er redde, urolige og i sorg.

Vi må stå sammen om å forsvare verdiene våre: Frihet, mangfold og respekt for hverandre. Vi må fortsette å stå opp for at alle mennesker skal føle seg trygge.

Nå må vi ta godt vare på hverandre.

Harald R

In English:

The shooting tragedy in central Oslo

Statement from His Majesty King Harald on the occasion of the shooting tragedy in central Oslo.

25.06.2022

My family and I are horrified by the night's shooting tragedy in central Oslo, where two people were killed and many injured. We sympathize with all the relatives and affected and send warm thoughts to all who are now scared, restless and in grief.

We must stand together to defend our values: Freedom, diversity and respect for each other. We must continue to stand up for all people to feel safe.

Now we have to take good care of each other.

Harald R

On Saturday early afternoon the Crown Prince couple and Prince Sverre Magnus together with among other Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the governing mayor (city government leader) of Oslo Raymond Johansen visited the scene of the shootings and laid down flowers outside London Pub.

The Crown Prince couple will attend the mourning service in Oslo Cathedral on Sunday 26 June.

The London Pub in central Oslo is a popular place in the gay community. The perpetrator has been charged with murder, attempted murder and carrying out a terrorist act. While the motive is yet to be known, the prosecutor has stated that "There is reason to believe this [terrorist act] involves hate crime [directed against gay people]" in addition to psychiatric issues. On advice by the police today's Pride parade and other Pride events were cancelled.

Postscript Monday 27 June 2022 at 22.55: The Royal Court revealed on Sunday morning that the Crown Prince had tested positive for Covid, which meantg that the Crown Princess attended the mourning service alone.

Updated last time on Monday 27 June 2022 at 22.55 (postscript added).

Norway: Princess Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday celebrations

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, who celebrated her 18th birthday on 21 January this year and thus reached the age of majority, had to postpone the official celebrations due to the pandemic and the restrictions which applied at the time.

The official celebreations will take place on Thursday 16 June and Friday 17 June. On Thursday 16 June the Norwegian government is hosting a dinner at the Deichman Library in Oslo. The guest list covers 202 people from all over the country – among others 25 young people representing all the 11 counties. There will also be representatives from the Storting and the Supreme Court. The government has made a point of inviting young people from different sectors, like sports, culture, politics and various organisations. Several cultural features will be included during the evening.

On Friday 17 June the King and Queen will host a gala dinner at the Royal Palace. On Wednesday 15 June The Royal Court released a list of the official guests at the dinner:

Norway

• Crown Prince Haakon
• Crown Princess Mette-Marit
• Princess Ingrid Alexandra
• Prince Sverre Magnus
• Marius Borg Høiby
• Princess Märtha Louise
• Durek Verrett (fiancé of the former)
• Maud Angelica Behn
• Leah Isadora Behn
• Emma Tallulah Behn
• Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
• Marit Tjessem (mother of Crown Princess Mette-Marit)

Denmark

• Crown Prince Frederik
• Crown Princess Mary

Sweden

• Crown Princess Victoria
• Prince Daniel
• Princess Estelle
• Prince Oscar

The Netherlands

• King Willem-Alexander
• Queen Máxima
• Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange

Belgium

• Queen Mathilde
• Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant

Spain

• King Felipe

Luxembourg

• Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume
• Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie
• Prince Charles

Other royals

• Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
• Crown Princess Marie-Chantal
• Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece
• Prince Aristidis-Stavros of Greece
• Prince Kyril of Bulgaria
• Katharine Jibba Butler (partner of the former)
• Princess Mafalda-Cecilia of Bulgaria
• Princess Olimpia of Bulgaria
• Prince Tassilo of Bulgaria
• Rosario Nadal (former wife of Prince Kyril)

The official Norway

• President of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani
• Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre
• Chief of the Supreme Court Toril Marie Øie
• Finance minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum
• Foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt
• Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim
• Minister of Defence Bjørn Arild Gram
• Minister of Children and Families Kjersti Toppe
• Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Sigbjørn Gjelsvik
• Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Marte Mjøs Persen
• Minister of Agriculture and Food Sandra Borch
• Minister of Justice and Public Security Emilie Enger Mehl
• Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland
• Parliamentary leader Rigmor Aasrud, The Labour Party
• Parliamentary leader Erna Solberg, The Conservative Party
• Paliamentary leader Sylvi Listhaug, The Progress Party
• Parliamentary leader Marit Arnstad, The Centre Party
• Parliamentary leader Guri Melby, The Liberarl Party
• Parliamentary leader Une Bastholm, The Green Party
• Member of Parliament Irene Ojala, Patient Focus
• Plenary session leader of the Sameting (Samediggi), Tom Sottinen
• Director General, Office of the Prime Minister, Tormod C. Endresen
• Governor of Vestfold and Telemark county, Per Arne Olsen
• Mayor of Oslo Marianne Borgen
• Mayor of Sokndal Jonas Andersen Sayed
• Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen
• Director of Police Benedicte Bjørnland
• Bishop and Preses of the Bishops' Conference, The Church of Norway Olav Fykse Tveit
• Leader of The Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities in Norway, Trond Enger
• Committee chairperson of The Islamic Council Norway Abdirahman Diriye
• Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, Tore Hattrem

Norwegian organisations

• Committee chairperson of The Norwegian Children and Youth Council Margrete Bjørge Katanasho
• Committee chairperson of Miljøagentene (The Eco-agents) Ingvild Melvær Hanssen
• President of The Norwegian Board Sports Federation Ola Keul
• Freestyle skier Hedvig Wessel, The Norwegian Ski Federation
• Chairperson of The School Student Union of Norway Edvard Botterli Udnæs
• Chairperson of Norsk Målungdom Frida Pernille Mikkelsen
• General Secretary of The Norwegian Association of Youth with Disabilities Ingvild Østli
• Chairperson of Skeiv Ungdom (The Norwegian Gay Youth Association) Jane-Victorius G. Bonsaksen
• Editor of Feminist/FETT Sumaya Jirde Ali
• Artist Sandra Mujinga
• Chairperson of the National Council of the Norwegian Red Cross Youths, Solveig Ugland
• General Secretary of WWF Karoline Andaur
• Chairperson of Changemaker Norway Naja Amanda Lynge Møretrø
• Chairperson of The National Council of The Norwegian Trekking Association Youths Anna Nes
• Chairperson of the Sameting's Youth Political Committee Elle Rávdná Näkkäläjärvi 

Corps diplomatique

• Amabassador of Myanmar, Daw Daw Maw (doyen)
• Ambassador of Sweden, Ulla Cecilia Björner
• Ambassador of Denmark, Louise Bang Jespersen
• Ambassador of Luxembourg, Henri Schumacher

Other guests are family and friends.

The sponsors at Princess Ingrid Alexandra's christening in 2004 were King Harald, King Felipe VI of Spain (then Prince of Asturias), Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Marit Tjessem. They are all present for the 18th birthday celebrations as seen above.

Unfortunately work obligations will make it difficult for me to follow much of the events during the celebrations. I might write a few words later on, but will not make any promises as of now.

Erling Sven Lorentzen (1923–2021)

The Norwegian Royal Court announced today the death of the shipowner, industralist and war hero Erling Sven Lorentzen, widower of Princess Ragnhild and brother-in-law of King Harald V. Erling Lorentzen died in Oslo at 01.30 a.m. on Tuesday 9 March 2021, 98 years old, after a short period of illness.

The king's condolences on behalf of the royal family: «It is with great sorrow we have received the sad message that Erling Sven Lorentzen has passed away. Our thoughts go to his closest ones, who have lost a good father, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather.»

Erling Sven Lorentzen was born at Huseby in Aker (now part of Oslo) on 28 January 1923 as the youngest of six children of the shipowner Øivind Lorentzen, Holmestrand (1881–1980) and Ragna Nilsen, Hamar (1885–1976). During the war he joined the so-called «Kompani Linge» («The Linge Company», i.e. the Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1), a British SOE group formed by Norwegian volunteers) in Scotland where he received military training before becoming regional commanding officer in Hallingdal in 1944. When the royal family returned from exile following the end of the war in 1945, Lorentzen served as one of their bodyguards. He met and fell in love with the the Crown Prince Olav's eldest daughter Ragnhild, who was 15 years old at the time. They corresponded while Erling studied at Harvard Business School. The couple was finally allowed to marry in 1953.

After the wedding in Asker Church on 15 May 1953 the couple settled in Brazil where Lorentzen became a successful business man. In the first years he owned a gas distribution company, before he went into the cellulose business, owning a large share of Aracruz Celulose S.A. and working as its executive chairman for many years.

Erling Lorentzen and Princess Ragnhild had 3 children – Haakon, Ingeborg and Ragnhild – as well as 6 grandchildren. Princess Ragnhild died in 2012 and was buried at Asker Cemetery, where it is also expected that Lorentzen will be laid at rest. After her death Lorentzen continued to live in Brazil, but usually spent the summers in Norway, either at his summer place at Ostøya in Bærum or at his childhood home in Husebyveien in Oslo. The last fall and winter was spent in Oslo. He was an active and vital man to the last. As late as in December 2020 he strongly critizised the TV series «Atlantic Crossing» in a letter to the editor of Aftenposten.

I never met Erling Lorentzen, but exchanged a few e-mails over the years, and he was always forthcoming when I asked for assistance to my genealogy inquiries. He had lived a long and rich life and one should of course not be too surprised when he passed away at the age of 98. Still, I had somehow expected that he would at least turn 100, as he said himself that he aimed for! His father was 99 years old when he died, and his elder brother Øivind Lorentzen, Jr. died in March 2020, 101 years old. 

The Norwegian Minister of Defence, Frank Bakke-Jensen, said today: «One of our last war heroes from WW2 has passed away. His war effort, his will to defend his country and his imparting of knowledge to the younger generations will stand as a monument.»

King Harald discharged from hospital

The Norwegian Royal Palace announced today that King Harald's condition is good and that he has been discharged from Rikshospitalet (The National Hospital, Oslo University Hospitgal), where he has stayed since last Thursday. He underwent an operation  on Friday 9 October 2020 in order to replace a heart valve. A photo of the king being driven home from the hospital can be found in several online newspapers today, including Aftenposten.no (NTB). The king is expected to resume his duties in November.

King Harald is doing well after operation

Last Thursday the Royal Palace explained the reason for King Harald of Norway's problems with heavy breathing, which lead to a stay at Rikshospitalet (The National Hospital, which is a division of Oslo University Hospital) from Friday 25 September to Monday 28 September. The press statement said:

His Majesty The King to undergo surgery to replace a heart valve

His Majesty The King is being admitted to Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, to undergo surgery to replace a heart valve. The surgery is scheduled to take place on Friday, 9 October. 

In 2005, the King underwent open heart valve surgery. At that time, the aortic valve was replaced with an artificial biological heart valve. Artificial biological heart valves have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, and therefore it is not uncommon that the intervention must be repeated after some time.

The intervention this time will not be open heart surgery. The King will be awake and the procedure will be carried out under local anaesthesia via the groin.

The procedure will be carried out by the medical team led by the King’s physician, Bjørn Bendz, Head of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet. 

“His Majesty The King has had regular check-ups, and the tests we have been carrying out indicate that this procedure is necessary to improve the King’s breathing. This type of procedure is performed hundreds of times each year at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, and the Norwegian surgeons are extremely experienced,” says the King’s physician, Bjørn Bendz.

Crown Prince Haakon will continue to serve as Regent during the king's extgended sick leave.

After the operation on Friday 9 October, the Royal Palace issued the following statement:

His Majesty The King’s surgery was successful 

His Majesty The King underwent a heart valve replacement at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, today. The operation was a success and the King is in good condition.

The King was awake during the procedure, which was carried out under local anaesthesia via the groin.

The medical team involved was led by the King’s physician, Bjørn Bendz, and included section heads Lars Aaberge and Christian Eek of the Department of Cardiology at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet.

Background

In 2005, His Majesty The King underwent heart valve surgery. At that time, the aortic valve was replaced with an artificial biological heart valve. Artificial biological heart valves have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, and therefore it is not uncommon that the intervention must be repeated after some time.

Recent tests carried out on the King indicated that it was necessary to replace the artificial biological heart valve from 2005 with a new one to improve the King’s breathing.

The Royal Palace promised that updates on the King’s condition would be provided regularly. The king is expected to resume his duties in November.

On Saturday 10 October the Royal Palace reported that the king's condition was good and that he already had made a short walk.

Grave of Ari Behn, Our Saviour's Cemetery, Oslo, Norway

 © 2020 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth

The author Ari Behn, former husband of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, died on 25 December 2019, 47 years old. The funeral service took place at Oslo domkirke (Oslo Cathedral) on 3 January 2020. 

Due to the pandemic, the urn interment at Vår Frelsers gravlund (Our Saviour's Cemetery) in Oslo was postponed. The family finally decided to have a private interment ceremony on 30 September 2020, which would have been Ari Behn's 48th birthday.

On the headstone one can find his name, birth and death date and signature engraved, besides the text «Du er høyt elsket av alle» («You are much beloved by everyone»). 

Norway: Princess Ingrid Alexandra to attend Elvebakken High School

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway had her last day of lower secondary education at Uranienborg School in Oslo a couple of weeks ago. Today it was announced that the princess in the fall will start her upper secondary education at Elvebakken videregående skole (high school) in the capital.

Elvebakken is the largest and most popular high school in Oslo with 1400 students and 150 teachers.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra started at Jansløkka primary school in Asker in 2010, before continuing her education at Oslo International School at Bekkestua in Bærum in 2014. In 2019 she switched to Uranienborg School close to the Royal Palace for her last year of junior high school (lower secondary school).

Princess Ingrid Alexandra's grandfather and father have also attended high school in the capital. King Harald attended Oslo Cathedral School, while Crown Prince Haakon went to Kristelig Gymnasium (KG).

The Korean War and Rolv Møll of Norway

Today – 25 June 2020 – marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. In Oslo's main street Karl Johans gate the South Korean embassy is behind the exhibition of 24 banners thanking Norway for its contribution to the war, which mainly consisted of a field hospital called Norwegian Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (NORMASH) as part of the UN force. Norway also contributed with financial support, and established together with Denmark and Sweden the hospital National Medical Center.

The banner says «70th Anniversary of the Korean War Remembrance Solidarity Peace» and «Takk, Norge For Støtten under Koreakrigen 1950–53 Republikken Korea» («Thank you, Norway for the support during the Korean War 1950–53 The Republic of Korea»).

Karl Johans gate, Oslo.

Karl Johans gate, Oslo, with the University of Oslo's Law Faculty Library in the background, and further back the Royal Palace.

Photos: © 2020 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth.

The South Korean embassy is currently hosting a photo contest were people are encouraged to send in their best photos of themselves alongside the banners. The best photos in the categories «best quality picture», «most creative picture», «pictures in special attire», «happiest or funniest picture» or «picture showing cooperation between Korean and Norway» will win a prize from the embassy. I guess I would have to make a better effort than the ones above in order to win ...

623 Norwegian men and women served in NORMASH over seven contingents. Only 2 of them working for the hospital were killed – one was shot, the other killed in a car accident. In addition two two seamen died, one by illness while the ship «Belocean» was in harbour in Pusan, the other by drowning while the ship was in harbour in Japan. But several Norwegan-born men served in the US army. One of them was Rolv Møll, who was born in Holum, Mandal in 1926 and settled in Brooklyn, New York in May 1950. He married the Norwegian-American Rosy Reiersen (Ryerson) (1924–1976) in December 1951, four months after he had joined the US army: He was sent to Korea in April 1952, serving in the 35th Infantry Regiment (25th Infantry (Tropic Lighting) Division) and was killed on the North Korean frontline in July the same year, 26 years old. He was among others awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. I wrote a piece about Rolv in Slektshistoriewiki, the Norwegian genealogy wiki, back in 2017. So whenever I think about the Korean War, I think about Rolv, whose life was taken far too early while in the service of his adopted country.

Updated on Friday 26 June 2020 at 12.40 (typo corrected).