King Harald V of Norway is being buried in Oslo. The king passed away on August 28 at the age of 89.
The ceremony will be held at Oslo Cathedral at 1:00 p.m. Afterward, the casket will be taken to Akershus Castle Church for the burial. A moment of silence will be observed throughout Norway before the service. At 12:00 p.m., the gates to the palace will open, followed by a 21-gun salute and the solemn procession.
Among the guests are the Swedish royal couple, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to attend the funeral in Oslo. Flags are flying at half-mast, and large quantities of flowers have been laid outside the palace. Mourners have gathered with candles on Slottsplassen. Norwegian media report that the line to pay their respects outside the palace lasted seven hours.
The Retired Doctor Hilde Östrem captures the mood:
– He embraced us all. He deserves a proper farewell.
If you'd like to watch the ceremony and the funeral, you can do so on SVT, among other channels, which will be broadcasting live around noon.
What the hell is Zelensky doing there? Doesn't he have a war to take responsibility for?
Exactly!