King Harald's Funeral Set for 9 September at Oslo Cathedral
King Harald V of Norway will be buried on Wednesday 9 September 2026, the Norwegian Royal Court has announced, with the funeral service to begin at 1:00 pm in Oslo Cathedral (Royal Central).
The king died on Friday 28 August 2026 at 06:35 at Rikshospitalet, the National Hospital in Oslo, at the age of 89. He reigned for 35 years and was Europe's oldest serving monarch at the time of his death (Al Jazeera). The Royal House had said his health deteriorated in the days before, describing his condition as "still very serious" on 27 August (NRK; USA Today).
His 53-year-old son succeeded him immediately as King Haakon VIII, Norway's first new monarch in over three decades (New York Post). Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra received Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre for a viewing of the coffin at the Royal Palace on 29 August. A memorial service — a sørgegudstjeneste, the Norwegian term for a church service of mourning — followed on 30 August at Asker Church, attended by Haakon, Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja, and Prince Sverre Magnus (kongehuset.no).
The Norwegian government established a period of landesorg, or national mourning, running from the day of Harald's death until the funeral (Aftenposten). Støre had earlier confirmed the funeral would fall in week 37 of 2026 (NRK). Week 37 begins on Monday 7 September; the service sits on its third day.
The coffin was moved on 31 August at 16:00 from the Red Salon at the Royal Palace to the Slottskapellet — the Palace Chapel — where it was to lie until the funeral (kongehuset.no). The Royal Court said information about the death and arrangements would be published continuously on its website (regjeringen.no).
The funeral service itself will be led by Olav Fykse Tveit, President of the Church of Norway — the country's largest religious body, to which the monarchy has belonged since the Reformation — together with Sunniva Gyvler, the Bishop of Oslo. Oslo Cathedral Cantor Marcus André Berg and the Oslo Cathedral Choir will also participate (Royal Central).
Harald was widely regarded as a reformer who embraced inclusivity during his reign (Al Jazeera). His death closes the longest Norwegian reign since the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905, and passes the crown to a son who has been heir apparent since birth.
