The Norwegian Armed Forces and the passing of King Harald V
Information concerning the Armed Forces’ duties in connection with King Harald V’s passing.
This page is an archive page and is no longer being updated.
From the passing of King Harald V on 28 August until the funeral on 9 September, the Norwegian Armed Forces played a central role. Its duties included firing ceremonial salutes, providing a guard of honour, supporting the Royal Palace, carrying out security and guard duties, and participating in the funeral service.
You can read more about the role of the Norwegian Armed Forces below. Further down the page you will find press information and relevant links.
FAQs
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The Norwegian Armed Forces is an organisation steeped in tradition and history, and uniforms, ranks and decorations are fundamental elements of military service.
Royal Cyphers
A significant amount of equipment used by the Norwegian Armed Forces bears the royal cypher of King Harald V. Initial discussions have already taken place regarding a new royal cypher for His Majesty King Haakon VIII, and this work will continue as soon as possible.
Naturally, it will take time to implement the new cypher across all branches and units of the Armed Forces. There will therefore be a transitional period before all equipment has been updated with the new royal cypher.
Portraits of the King
The same applies to the portraits of King Harald V displayed in messes, communal areas, vessels and other locations throughout the Norwegian Armed Forces, both in Norway and abroad.
The process of producing portraits of His Majesty King Haakon VIII has begun, but it will take some time before they are ready and can be distributed to the Armed Forces' units and military camps.
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Yes, from 14 September, the entire fortress is now open to the public
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The Norwegian Armed Forces were primarily represented at the oath-taking ceremony in the Storting, the funeral, and as a guard of honour beside the coffin of King Harald V in the Palace Chapel at the Royal Palace.
In the days following the funeral, all personnel, equipment and vessels returned to their respective home bases, and our extensive logistics operation connected with the funeral was gradually wound down and concluded.
The Funeral
The police were responsible for security during the funeral on Wednesday 9 September. The Norwegian Armed Forces do not comment on any assistance that may have been provided in connection with security measures surrounding the funeral. Members of the press are asked to contact the police for comment.
In total, 3,500 personnel from across the Norwegian Armed Forces took part in the ceremonial arrangements in Oslo on the day of the funeral.
- Around 1,900 soldiers formed a guard lining the entire route from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral and onwards to Akershus Castle at Akershus Fortress.
- Around 1,200 personnel served as guards of honour or performed with one of the Armed Forces bands.
- Around 200 soldiers raised the flags along the ceremonial route following the funeral.
- Around 100 personnel carried out the mourning salute and the double royal salute on the day of the funeral.
- Six generals and admirals took part in the procession, together with aides-de-camp who flanked King Harald's coffin.
- The Armed Forces also provided various support personnel. Among other contributions, they supplied a gun carriage and a vehicle. The gun carriage transported King Harald V's coffin from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral and, following the funeral, onwards to Akershus Fortress.
- The Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Service provided healthcare personnel and medical corps soldiers. This included doctors, nurses and ambulance personnel.
- The Royal Norwegian Air Force conducted a flypast over Oslo Cathedral at the conclusion of the funeral service. Four F-35 aircraft flew over the cathedral from west to east. Read more here.
- A naval force from the Royal Norwegian Navy was present in Oslo, led by the frigate HMNoS Fridtjof Nansen, accompanied by the Coast Guard vessels Hopen and Nornen, the minesweeper Rauma, and the corvette Gnist. The Royal Yacht Norge was berthed at the Honour Quay.
- Soldiers from the Danish Royal Life Guards, the Swedish Life Guards, and Britain's Royal Yorkshire Regiment and Royal Marines were stationed within the fortress grounds. Several selected organisations, associations and veterans were also present. Along the honour line inside the inner fortress, commanders from the defence sector and Armed Forces units stood alongside heraldically designed flags and colours. Defence sector organisations and operating units carried ceremonial flags, while the service branches carried colours and standards. Colours are produced in a single copy only and are treated with the utmost respect. They are presented by His Majesty the King.
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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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After the funeral service at Oslo Cathedral, the coffin of King Harald V was carried in procession from the cathedral to Akershus Fortress and onwards to the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Castle.
There, King Harald V was laid to rest in a specially designed sarcophagus.
All members of the Royal Family are interred in the mausoleum at Akershus Castle. This has been the tradition since Norway regained its independence in 1905.
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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 was fired at 12 noon.
Following the funeral, a double royal salute was fired shortly before 16:00. This consisted 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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His Majesty the King is the Commander-in-Chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces and is therefore an important institution within Norway’s defence establishment.
When a monarch dies, the Armed Forces enter a period of mourning that lasts until the conclusion of the funeral.
From the announcement of King Harald V’s death and for the following 48 hours (until the morning of Sunday 30 August), exercises, military education programmes and courses within the Norwegian Armed Forces were suspended. Essential operational activities were exempt from these measures.
The Armed Forces’ readiness and its responsibility for safeguarding the country were maintained as normal throughout this period.
Planned events organised by the Armed Forces, or held at military camps and fortresses, were cancelled for 48 hours. Thereafter, each event was assessed individually until the funeral had concluded. Among other measures, the Norwegian Military Tattoo was cancelled, while the Greener & Meaner Conference was postponed until spring 2027.
Norwegian personnel stationed abroad and forces engaged in international operations and missions also suspended routine activities for 48 hours where operationally possible.
Norwegian forces participating in exercises outside Norwegian territory likewise halted all training activities for 48 hours, until the morning of Sunday 30 August.
All military establishments and vessels flew their flags at half-mast until the funeral concluded on 9 September. Throughout the mourning period, all military personnel wearing parade dress or service uniform wore black mourning armbands.
Civilian employees who wished to do so were also permitted to wear mourning armbands.
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No. The Armed Forces maintained normal operational readiness, day-to-day operations and the safeguarding of Norwegian sovereignty. Our duties in connection with H.M. the King’s death did not come at the expense of our core day-to-day responsibilities.
Personnel, equipment and vessels required for operational duties continued their missions as normal.
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We have worked in close cooperation and coordination with the Royal Palace, the police, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and other relevant organisations. This coordination was led by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and we participated in regular meetings over an extended period.
We also conducted a number of exercises and tests to ensure that we were prepared for the arrangements following 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 and also took part in the funeral procession and funeral ceremony.
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The Norwegian Defence Estates Agency supported the Armed Forces by preparing buildings and facilities. In addition, all agencies in the defence sector were represented with their colours and ceremonial flags during the funeral.
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The Armed Forces cancelled a number of events that were not directly related to the Armed Forces’ operational readiness and duties.
Each event was assessed individually in accordance with the guidance and information issued by the Norwegian Government. One of the cancelled events was the Norwegian Military Tattoo.
Read more in the Norwegian Government’s guidance on the period of national mourning
Images and video can be downloaded from the Norwegian Armed Forces’ media bank:
