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🇳🇴 Norway /Culture & Society

Nearly seven-hour queue to pay respects to King Harald V

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • A queue to pay respects to the late King Harald V at the Palace Chapel reached an estimated six hours and 45 minutes.
  • The Royal Court extended visiting hours from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Saturday through Monday because of the large turnout.
  • About 650 journalists from 19 countries applied to cover the king’s funeral, while Norwegian Seamen’s Churches worldwide prepared livestream gatherings.

The queue to walk past King Harald V’s coffin at the Palace Chapel stretched to nearly seven hours on Saturday. The Royal Court estimated that mourners would wait six hours and 45 minutes, according to a royal household guard speaking to an Aftenposten reporter at the end of the line on Wergelandsveien.

The court extended opening hours after large numbers of people sought to say farewell to the king. The chapel is open for visitors from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Saturday through Monday.

Our goal is to facilitate media coverage that is dignified and respectful.

· Tuva Raanes BogsnesThe Foreign Ministry communications chief described preparations for international media coverage of the funeral.

The funeral has also drawn substantial international media interest. Norway’s Foreign Ministry received 650 accreditation applications from journalists in 19 countries. Most of the foreign journalists are coming from Sweden, Germany, Britain and the Netherlands, the ministry said. Norway is also among the countries represented.

This is an important and solemn occasion, and we are working to ensure that the media can convey the event in a way that reflects the seriousness and significance of the moment.

· Tuva Raanes BogsnesBogsnes explained the ministry’s approach to coverage of the royal funeral.

The ministry has established a press center in central Oslo and will build additional platforms and stands for media covering and photographing the funeral procession. “Our goal is to facilitate media coverage that is dignified and respectful,” communications chief Tuva Raanes Bogsnes said. “This is an important and solemn occasion, and we are working to ensure that the media can convey the event in a way that reflects the seriousness and significance of the moment.”

Norwegian Seamen’s Churches in almost every location will show the funeral live. Large gatherings are expected particularly in Copenhagen, Stockholm and London. Communications chief Sissel Myklebust Mæland said many students had attended the churches during the mourning period. The funeral ceremony begins at Oslo Cathedral at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

We have seen that many people seek out the Seamen’s Churches when major events occur.

· Sissel Myklebust MælandThe Seamen’s Church communications chief explained why its locations were organizing public livestream gatherings.
About this summary

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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