Birgit Skarstein to attend King Harald's funeral

Former athlete Birgit Skarstein will attend King Harald's funeral, she told TV 2.

The complete guest list has not yet been released. Royal family members, government heads and national leaders are expected, along with several prominent figures from sport. Ståle Solbakken, coach of Norway's men's national football team, former biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen and cross-country skiing star Therese Johaug are among those confirmed.

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will also attend, according to the French prime minister's office. In Stockholm, the Swedish royal court said King Harald would be honored with serafim ringing at Riddarholmen Church on the day of his burial. Harald was a knight of the Order of the Seraphim, Sweden's highest order of chivalry, and the bells will ring for an hour from noon to 1 p.m.

The funeral is expected to bring large crowds to Oslo. Norway's road authorities will close Route 159 between Karihaugen in Oslo and Lillestrøm before and during the ceremony. The closure could cause traffic on the E6, and officials said they did not know how severe the congestion would be.

Bane Nor is preparing for heavy rail traffic throughout the day. The railway operator said trains would become especially important because of major changes to road and surface public transport in the Oslo area. Police have also emphasized the importance of maintaining train services for security reasons.

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We do not know how bad it will be.