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Norway’s Queen Mette-Marit joins procession to bring late King Harald V’s coffin to royal chapel
Mette-Marit held hands with Queen Sonja as Norwegians laid flowers and lit candles, while the coffin will remain in the chapel until Sept. 9.
On Monday, the coffin of late King Harald V traveled through the royal palace to the chapel in Oslo, with Queen Mette-Marit joining the procession in her first official appearance since assuming her title.
King Harald passed away Friday at age 89, causing the crown prince to immediately become King Haakon VIII; since Harald's death, the royal family and Norway have entered an official state of mourning.
Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja, Harald's widow, walked behind the coffin during Monday's procession after it had remained in the palace's Red Salon over the weekend amid public displays of grief.
King Haakon VIII will take the oath to Norway's constitution on Tuesday, while the public may visit the chapel beginning that day to pay respects to the late king, according to NRK.
The funeral is set for Sept. 9, while King Haakon VIII faces the task of shoring up support for the monarchy following controversies involving Jeffrey Epstein and his stepson's recent criminal conviction.
Funeral on September 9 - King Haakon VIII will be sworn in tomorrow in parliament, there will be no official coronation because Norway abolished this practice in 1908
The coffin of Norway's King Harald V was moved to the Royal Palace Chapel on Monday, where the late monarch will lie in state until his funeral on September 9.
The coffin of Norway's King Harald V was moved to the Royal Palace Chapel on Monday, where the late monarch will lie in state until his funeral on September 9.