Oslo prepares for King Harald’s royal funeral

Signs of King Harald’s funeral are appearing across Oslo ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony. Workers are building a canopy and steps at the entrance to Oslo Cathedral, where the funeral service will take place.

A two-level stand is also being built in the square in front of the cathedral for Norwegian and international media. About 650 journalists from 19 countries have applied to cover the funeral from the designated positions.

Britain’s Prince William will attend as King Charles’ representative, Buckingham Palace said. Princess Anne will also attend as a private guest. She was King Haakon’s godmother, and the Norwegian and British royal families are closely related.

Visitors have also been paying their respects at the Palace Chapel. The Royal Palace said about 4,500 people had visited by 6:30 p.m. Saturday, with the queue reduced to less than an hour after earlier waits of almost seven hours.

Police have said umbrellas will not be allowed during the funeral. They cited security arrangements in central Oslo and urged members of the public to wear rain clothing instead. Weather forecasts indicated that nearly six millimeters of rain could fall during the afternoon, when the funeral begins at 1 p.m.

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Until 6:30 p.m. today, Saturday, September 5, about 4,500 visitors have been to the Palace Chapel. The queue is now under an hour.