Princess Astrid of Norway to be laid to rest in Oslo

Princess Astrid of Norway will be laid to rest on 23 September at Ris Church in Oslo.

The service starts at 1pm local time, 12pm UK time, and will be broadcast live on Norwegian television Hello! Magazine. Family, invited guests and members of the public are expected to gather for the daytime service in the west Oslo church.

Princess Astrid died on 11 September at the age of 94 Reuters. The Norwegian royal palace announced her death in a statement. She died two days after the funeral of her older brother, King Harald V.

That timing has shaped the fortnight since. King Harald was laid to rest after a state funeral, a formal public funeral ordered for a head of state, attended by dozens of European royals Reuters. Princess Astrid’s funeral follows 14 days after her brother’s service.

The guest list will look different this time. Representatives from European monarchies are not obliged to attend, reflecting the smaller, non-state form of the service. Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria is among the royal guests who will attend NRK.

Norway’s own royal family will be present in full. King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid and Queen Sonja will attend the service. Their attendance was confirmed in advance of the broadcast.

Former prime minister Jens Stoltenberg will deliver a memorial speech during the service NRK. A memorial speech, known in Norwegian as a minnetale, is a formal address remembering the life of the person who has died.

What makes this stand out is the closeness of the two farewells. Two funerals in 14 days. One large state occasion for a king. One quieter church service for his younger sister, watched at home on television.