Mette-Marit receives coffin of late Norwegian King Harald V in Oslo

A King is bid farewell

Harald V. died on 30 August 2026 at the age of 88, as reported by the news agency AFP, citing the Norwegian court. His death ended a reign lasting more than three decades, which had begun in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V.

Memorial services were held in several Norwegian cities over the weekend. According to the news agency AFP, people gathered in front of the royal palace in Oslo to express their grief with flowers, candles and Norwegian flags. The late king was also honoured abroad, for instance in Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Mette-Marit was at the bedside of her husband at the time of his death, together with the royal family. The royal house issued an official statement on the evening of 30 August, saying that the king had died "in peace," "surrounded by his family."

Expressions of mourning from home and abroad

The Norwegian government declared a ten-day mourning period. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre honoured Harald V. as a "Brückenbauer zwischen den Menschen in Norwegen." King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and King Frederik X of Denmark also offered their condolences to the Norwegian royal house.

Harald V. was regarded as a popular monarch who came across as approachable through his informal demeanour and frequent visits to Norway's regions. In recent years, he had repeatedly been receiving treatment for health problems. According to the court, he had increasingly involved his son, Crown Prince Haakon, in official duties.

Path cleared for Crown Prince Haakon

Crown Prince Haakon, the eldest son from the marriage of Harald V. and Queen Sonja, is expected as the future king. Until his formal accession to the throne, Mette-Marit assumes the duties of the queen under the Norwegian constitution. According to official information, the coronation ceremony is to take place at a later date.

According to the court, the burial of Harald V. is scheduled for early September. The exact date and the location of the burial are to be announced.

The news of the king's death dominated the media across Scandinavia over the weekend. In Germany as well, ARD and ZDF reported on the death of the Norwegian monarch in special broadcasts and honoured his services to German-Norwegian relations.

Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship, kept a low profile during the mourning ceremonies. The royal house had previously announced that he would not take part in the official programme items.

With Monday's procession, the final phase of the mourning ceremonies for Harald V. begins. The Norwegian royal house announced that the public will have the opportunity in the coming days to pay their final respects at the palace.

Bayern 2 placed the news among a series of other international reports, including Iceland's rejection of new EU accession talks, a ferry accident off northern Cyprus, and a shooting in Switzerland with one dead and five injured.