The Norwegian Armed Forces and the passing of King Harald V
On this page, you will find information concerning the Armed Forces’ duties in connection with King Harald V’s passing.
The Norwegian Armed Forces have a central role in the period leading up to and including the funeral on 9 September 2026. This inculdes ceremonial gun salutes, guards of honour, support to the Royal Palace, security duties and related activities.
Below you will find answers to frequently asked questions about the role of the Norwegian Armed Forces. Further down the page, you will find information for the media and relevant links.
FAQs
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The Norwegian Armed Forces will primarily be represented during the taking of the oath before the Storting, the funeral, and as an honour guard beside King Harald V’s coffin in the Palace Chapel at the Royal Palace.
The funeral
The police are responsible for security during the funeral on Wednesday 9 September. The Armed Forces will not comment on any assistance we may provide in connection with security measures surrounding the funeral. Members of the press are asked to contact the police for comment.
In total, around 3,500 personnel from across the Armed Forces will be ceremonially represented in Oslo on the day of the funeral.
- Around 1,900 soldiers will form a guard of honour (i.e. standing in formation on both sides of the street) along the entire route from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral and onwards to Akershus Castle at Akershus Fortress.
- Around 1,200 personnel will serve as guards of honour or perform as members of one of the Armed Forces’ military bands.
- Around 200 soldiers will raise the flags along the parade route following the funeral.
- Around 100 personnel will carry out the mourning salute and the double royal salute on the day of the funeral.
- In addition, six generals and admirals will take part in the procession, along with aides-de-camp who will flank King Harald’s coffin.
- The Armed Forces will also have various support personnel in place. Among other things, the Armed Forces will provide a gun carriage and a vehicle. The gun carriage will carry King Harald V’s coffin from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral and, following the funeral, onwards to Akershus Fortress.
- The Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services will provide healthcare professionals and medical personnel. The healthcare professionals include doctors, nurses and ambulance personnel. The medical services are primarily there to support the military forces, but will of course also provide assistance to civilians in the event of a medical emergency.
- A fleet from the Royal Norwegian Navy is in Oslo, led by the frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen, accompanied by the Coast Guard vessels Hopen and Nornen, the minesweeper Rauma and the corvette Gnist. The Royal Yacht Norge is berthed at Honnørbryggen.
- Military personnel from the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark will be present inside Akershus Fortress as companies of honour. Several selected organisations, associations and veterans will also be positioned within the fortress. Along the guard of honour within the inner fortress, commanders from the defence sector and Armed Forces units will be formed up with heraldically designed flags and colours. Defence-sector agencies and operating units have ceremonial flags, while the branches of the Armed Forces carry colours and standards. Each colour is made as a unique piece and is treated with great respect. These have been formally presented by H.M. the King.
- A number of selected organisations, associations and veterans will also be positioned within the fortress.
The programme for the funeral is available at the Royal House of Norway’s website
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Taking of the oath
On Tuesday 1 September, H.M. King Haakon VIII took his oath to uphold the Constitution before the Storting (the Norwegian parliament). In connection with the ceremony, personnel from the Army (including His Majesty the King’s Guard), the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Royal Norwegian Air Force took part. They were positioned along Karl Johans gate from the Royal Palace to the Storting. The Armed Forces’ participation was broadly similar to that seen during the formal opening of the Storting each autumn.
Honour guard
On the afternoon of 31 August, King Harald V’s coffin was moved to the Palace Chapel at the Royal Palace. Cadets from the Armed Forces’ military academies will maintain an honour guard beside the coffin 24 hours a day until the funeral. The honour guard consists of four cadets, two on each side, together with a supervising officer.
The Palace Chapel is open to the public to file past the coffin and pay their respects from 14:00 on Tuesday 1 September until 18:00 on the day before the funeral. This gives anyone who wishes to do so an opportunity to pass by the coffin and pay their respects to King Harald V. Read more in this press release from the Royal House of Norway (in Norwegian).
The Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services (FSAN) will operate a medical post in the Palace Square to provide medical assistance to members of the public if required.
Other arrangements
Available naval vessels will arrive in Oslo in the period leading up to the funeral and berth in the capital. International naval vessels may also be present.
Vessels on operational duty will continue their missions as normal. The Armed Forces’ operational readiness and day-to-day safeguarding of Norwegian sovereignty will be maintained.
His Majesty the King’s Guard will continue to provide security at the royal residences as normal. In addition, we have reinforced security at these locations with additional resources to help provide a dignified setting during the period following King Harald V’s death.
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In connection with the funeral of King Harald V, the Royal Norwegian Air Force will conduct a flypast over Oslo Cathedral. The flypast will take place after the funeral service in the cathedral has concluded, provisionally between 14:05 and 14:30 on Wednesday 9 September.
Update 9 September 08:30: The aircraft will fly from Ørland Air Base and will pass over Oslo Cathedral from west to east (not south to north as annonounced yesterday)
The so-called missing man formation will be performed by four F-35 fighter aircraft. This is an internationally recognised military tribute in which one aircraft breaks away from the formation and climbs skywards. It symbolises the passing of the deceased. The empty space left in the formation represents the loss, while the aircraft climbing away symbolises the person who has now departed.
The flypast is a planned part of the Armed Forces’ official participation in the funeral ceremony and a tribute to King Harald V and his many years of service as King of Norway and Commander-in-Chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces.
The flight will be conducted in accordance with strict safety requirements and applicable regulations. The flypast is subject to suitable weather conditions for safety reasons.
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On the day of King Harald’s death, a 21-gun mourning salute was fired at 12 noon from the Armed Forces’ eight designated saluting locations across Norway:
- Akershus Fortress (Oslo)
- Bergenhus Fortress (Bergen)
- Fredriksten Fortress (Halden)
- Haakonsvern Naval Base (Bergen)
- Kongsvinger Fortress (Kongsvinger)
- Kristiansten Fortress (Trondheim)
- Oscarsborg Fortress (Drøbak)
- Setermoen Camp (Setermoen)
- Vardøhus Fortress (Vardø)
A mourning salute consists of 21 rounds, fired at 30-second intervals.
On 9 September, the day of the funeral, a new 21-gun mourning salute will be fired at 12 noon.
Following the funeral, a double royal salute will be fired. This consists of 21 rounds fired at five-second intervals, followed by a one-minute pause, and then a further 21 rounds fired at five-second intervals.
Norwegian naval vessels do not fire salutes, as there is no tradition of ceremonial gun salutes being fired from Norwegian military vessels in Norwegian waters.
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In Norway, 21 is the maximum number of rounds fired in a salute.
The tradition of firing 21 rounds dates back to the Age of Sail, when ships had three rows of seven guns. Each gun was fired once, giving a total of 21 rounds.
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H.M. the King is our Commander-in-Chief and therefore holds an important position within the Norwegian Armed Forces. When a King dies, the Armed Forces enter a period of mourning which lasts until the funeral has taken place.
Following the announcement of King Harald V’s death, Armed Forces exercises, training and courses were suspended for 48 hours (until the morning of Sunday 30 August). Essential operational duties were exempt from this. Throughout this period, the Armed Forces maintained normal operational readiness and continued to safeguard the country as usual.
Planned events organised by the Armed Forces, or taking place at Armed Forces camps and fortresses, were cancelled for 48 hours. Since then, each event has been assessed individually in the period leading up to the funeral. Among other events, the Norwegian Military Tattoo has been cancelled, while the Greener & Meaner conference has been postponed until spring 2027.
Norwegian personnel abroad and forces serving on international operations and missions also suspended routine activities for 48 hours where possible. Norwegian forces participating in exercises outside Norwegian territory likewise suspended all training activities for 48 hours, until the morning of Sunday 30 August.
All military establishments and vessels will fly their flags at half-mast until the funeral has taken place on 9 September. All military personnel wearing ceremonial or service dress will wear a black mourning band during the period of mourning. Civilian employees may also wear a mourning band if they wish.
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No. The Armed Forces maintain normal operational readiness, day-to-day operations and the safeguarding of Norwegian sovereignty. Our duties in connection with H.M. the King’s death do not come at the expense of our core day-to-day responsibilities.
Personnel, equipment and vessels required for operational duties will continue their missions as normal.
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Yes. From 21:00 local time on Sunday 6 September until 06:00 on Friday 11 September, the entire fortress will be closed to the public.
The following restrictions will apply:
- The inner fortress will be closed to the public from 21:00 local time on 3 September until 06:00 on 11 September.
- The entire Akershus Fortress will be closed to the public from 21:00 on 6 September until 06:00 on 11 September.
- Akershus Castle will remain closed until 06:00 on 14 September.
- The fortress will remain accessible throughout this period to employees with a valid access card.
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Following the funeral service at Oslo Cathedral, King Harald V’s coffin will be taken in procession from the cathedral to Akershus Fortress and the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Castle. King Harald V will be laid to rest there in a specially designed sarcophagus.
All members of the Royal House are laid to rest in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Castle. This has been the tradition since Norway gained independence in 1905.
Read more about the Royal Mausoleum on the Royal House of Norway’s website (In Norwegian)
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We work in close cooperation and coordination with the Royal Palace, the police, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and other relevant organisations. This coordination is led by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and we have participated in regular meetings over an extended period.
We have also conducted a number of exercises and tests to ensure that we are prepared for the arrangements following H. M. King Harald V’s death.
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The Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen, delivered the official message to all Armed Forces personnel when the death of King Harald V was announced.
The Chief of Defence took part in H.M. King Haakon VIII’s taking of the oath on Tuesday and will also take part in the procession during the funeral.
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The Norwegian Defence Estates Agency supports the Armed Forces by preparing buildings and facilities. In addition, all agencies in the defence sector will be represented with their colours and ceremonial flags during the parade.
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The Armed Forces are an organisation steeped in tradition and with a long history, and uniforms, ranks and medals are fundamental elements of the Armed Forces.
Much of the Armed Forces’ equipment prominently displays His Majesty the King’s monogram. The Armed Forces have already held initial discussions regarding a new monogram for H.M. King Haakon VIII. We will continue this work as soon as possible.
Naturally, it will take time to introduce the new monogram across all units of the Armed Forces. There will therefore be a transitional period before all equipment bears the new monogram.
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The Armed Forces have cancelled a number of events that are not directly related to the Armed Forces’ operational readiness and duties.
Following this, each event will be assessed individually in accordance with the guidance and information issued by the Norwegian Government.
Read more in the Norwegian Government’s guidance on the period of national mourning
Information for the press
Images and video can be downloaded from the Norwegian Armed Forces’ media bank:
For media enquiries, requests to cover specific events or parts of the proceedings, and similar matters:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has established a press centre at Professorboligen, University of Oslo, Karl Johan Street 47. The centre provides workspaces and internet access for visiting Norwegian and international media. It will be open daily from 09:00 to 17:00. Members of the press wishing to access the press centre, must present a valid press card.
More information for the press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For accreditation for the day of the funeral, see this site at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Norwegian Armed Forces are represented at the MFA’s press centre and have a 24/7 media duty officer available. Please contact us to coordinate any requirements:
- Media duty officer: +47 91 66 99 55 (no text messages)
- E-mail: milinfo@mil.no
