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As Norway prepares for the state funeral of King Harald V on September 9, his son and successor, King Haakon VIII, has announced that the Royal House will observe an official period of mourning for one month following the service. The mourning period will run until October 9. This means that all previously scheduled official engagements and public appearances by the Norwegian royals will be canceled through that time. The exception will be any cabinet meetings as well as the opening of the Storting, Norway’s parliament, which is scheduled for October 2.
“During the Royal House of Norway’s mourning period, the Royal Family and the Royal Court’s staff will wear dark clothing or uniforms with mourning bands. Public activities at the royal properties will be closed during the period,” the statement read. “After October 9, the Royal House will gradually resume its official program.” All royal properties that are open to the public, such as the Royal Palace in Oslo and the summer residence at Oscarshall, will also be closed to visitors during this time, according to Norwegian daily newspaper Aftenposten.
The Norwegian royal family has already been dressed in mourning since Harald’s death last Friday, as seen at a memorial service on Sunday and at Tuesday’s oath ceremony during which King Haakon formally assumed the throne before the Norwegian parliament. Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, for example, wore a long black dress and a veiled headband, which drew many comparisons to her grandmother’s appearance at King Harald’s own oath ceremony in 1991.
Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra on Tuesday.
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This time, Queen Sonja once again chose a black dress, this time with a high neck and white pearls, while her grandson Prince Sverre Magnus was attired in a dark suit. The notable exception was King Haakon himself, who was in his military ceremonial dress uniform for the occasion.
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Prince Sverre Magnus and Queen Sonja at King Haakon’s oath ceremony.
Since King Harald’s death on August 28, Norway has been in a state of collective grief. Thousands of Norwegians gathered outside the Royal Palace in Oslo in the days that followed, leaving flowers, candles, letters, and photographs in his memory. Tributes poured in from royal families and world leaders around the world. On Monday, King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja, and Princess Märtha Louise stepped outside the palace to meet the mourners gathered in the square, placing roses among the tributes and joining the crowd in singing the national anthem.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.