Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia will travel to Norway to join members of Europe’s royal families in bidding a final farewell to King Harald V. All eyes are now on the Royal Palace in Oslo, where mourners have gathered to pay their respects to the late monarch after his 35-year reign.
Norway is tightening security ahead of Harald V’s state funeral on September 9 at Oslo Cathedral, where Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia will be joined by King Willem-Alexander, Princess Beatrix and other European royals. Norwegian authorities are preparing what they have described as the largest security operation in the country’s history as royal families and prominent world leaders travel to Oslo for the ceremony.
© LISE ASERUDConfirmed Guests Attending the Funeral
The Norwegian Royal Court announced Harald V’s death on August 28, automatically making Crown Prince Haakon King Haakon VIII and marking the beginning of a new chapter for the monarchy. The death of a king carries a bittersweet reality for his successor: mourning the loss of a father while simultaneously assuming the throne. It also sets in motion an elaborate series of ceremonies and protocols intended to honor a monarch at the end of a historic reign.
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesNorway is now preparing to welcome some of the world’s most prominent dignitaries, including King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark. Following the announcement of the state funeral, the Danish royal couple postponed their state visit to Belgium, originally scheduled for September 8, to a date yet to be determined.
© KELD NAVNTOFTKing Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium later confirmed that they, too, would travel to Norway. The royal reunion that had been expected to take place amid glittering tiaras and evening gowns will instead happen under far more somber circumstances, as Europe’s royals gather to mourn Harald V.
© Getty ImagesRepresenting the Netherlands will be
© NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe Danish delegation, however, has not yet been finalized. According to the official statement, the attendance of additional members of the Danish royal family will be confirmed in the coming days. It therefore remains unclear whether Queen Margrethe or other members of the family will attend the ceremony.
Japan, meanwhile, will be represented by Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko. The couple will travel to Norway to pay their respects to Harald V, father of the current King Haakon VIII. According to local media reports, extensive security preparations are also underway for the possible attendance of U.S. President Donald Trump.
© AFP via Getty ImagesFollowing the solemn state funeral at Oslo Cathedral on September 9 and the final farewells from royal families around the world, Harald V will be laid to rest in a private burial. His final resting place will be the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress, the landmark medieval stronghold overlooking the fjord in the Norwegian capital.
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesThere, in the royal crypt, Harald V will rest alongside his parents, King Olav V and Princess Märtha, and his grandparents, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud. Surrounded by his closest family and accompanied by a 21-gun salute, the private ceremony will bring Norway’s farewell to Harald V to a close. It will also mark the formal end of his 35-year reign and the beginning of a new era under King Haakon VIII.
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