King Harald funeral details confirmed after memorial service: More on the ceremony honouring the late monarch

Memorial services honouring the late King Harald following his death aged 89 will take place today. 

The services, which aren't his official state funeral, will be held in various locations across Norway. 

A state funeral has not yet been announced.

King Haakon, along with his mother, Queen Sonja, and his two children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, will attend a ceremony, which will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Asker Church, located close to Skaugum Palace and a regular venue for the Royal Family's religious services.

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Queen Mette-Marit will not be in attendance at the ceremonies on Sunday, it's been confirmed by the Royal Court. 

In the statement, the Palace of Oslo affirms that, "as previously announced," King Haakon's wife "is recovering from the lung transplant she underwent in June and has limited participation in official events."

However, it's believed that she will be present at other events related to the passing of King Harald.

The Norwegian royal family announced in 2018 that Mette-Marit was suffering from a rare chronic lung disease – a rare form of fibrosis that causes the lungs to scar, making breathing difficult.

In June, the Crown Princess underwent a life-changing lung transplant after her pulmonary fibrosis worsened. 

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Arrivals have begun ahead of the memorial service for the late King Harald, who died aged 89 on Friday. Mourners were pictured entering a church in Asker. 

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While the Royal House did not specify in its statement, it's understood that Princess Märtha Louise will be present at the Asker ceremony.

She accompanied her mother, Queen Sonja, during King Harald's funeral procession to Oslo Palace. Her daughters, Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora, and Emma Tallulah, are also expected to attend. Märtha's husband, Durek Verrett, is not expected to be present , however, as he is recovering from a kidney transplant. 

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The people of Norway have laid flowers in honour of the late King Harald V, ahead of memorial services held across the country on Sunday. 

Europe's longest reigning monarch passed away aged 89 on Friday.

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The date and time of King Harald's funeral have not yet been announced.

He will be laid to rest in the royal mausoleum of the Akershus fortress, a medieval castle in Oslo, alongside his ancestors. 

The late monarch will lie close to his mother, Crown Princess Martha, his father King Olav, his grandmother Queen ⁠Maud and his grandfather King Haakon.

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Norway's new King Haakon VIII was pictured arriving at Asker Church with his children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, and his mother, Queen Sonja, for the memorial service for the late King Harald V. 

Haakon greeted members of the clergy before heading into the church . 

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Queen Sonja looked sombre as she arrived at Asker Church alongside her son King Haakon VIII and grandchildren, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. 

The family were pictured wearing black, a traditional sign of grief and respect, as they greeted members of the clergy. 

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Queen Sonja looked as though she was holding back tears as she arrived at Asker Church on Sunday for her late husband Harald's memorial service. 

The 89-year-old looked emotional as she greeted a member of the clergy outside the church. She was joined by her son, King Haakon VIII and grandchildren, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, for the ceremony. 

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Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra smiled as she was welcomed by parish priest Ida Buen Hanevold at Asker Church ahead of a memorial service for herlate grandfather, King Harald. 

Ingrid is now the heir to the Norwegian throne. She is the first female heir to the Norwegian throne in 600 years - the last female monarch being Queen Margaret who died in 1412.

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Norway's King Haakon VIII, his daughter Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, mother Queen Sonja, and son Prince Sverre Magnus were pictured sitting in the front row during the memorial church service for the late King Harald V at Asker Church. 

The family were greeted by Dean Oyvind Stabrun and Reverend Ida Buen Hanevold before heading into the church for the ceremony.

The royals looked sombre as they sat inside the neo-Gothic Lutheran church, consecrated in 1879. 

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Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and his wife Marit Slagsvold were in attendance at the ceremony, which was held at 11 o'clock at Asker Church. 

The service coincided with churches and cathedrals ringing bells in tribute to the late monarch. 

Following Harald's death on Friday, Jonas laid flowers outside the royal palace in Oslo and signed a book of condolences after greeting the new King Haakon. 

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King Haakon and his family were pictured leaving the church, accompanied by Dean Oyvind Stabrun and parish priest Ida Buen Hanevold, after attending a memorial service for the late King Harald V. 

Haakon led the departures, followed by his daughter Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, mother Queen Sonja, and son Prince Sverre Magnus. 

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After the ceremony, King Haakon and his family were pictured getting in a black limousin and driving away from the church in Asker. 

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A period of national mourning has now begun as Norweigans grieve the death of the beloved King Harald V, who died on Friday aged 89. 

The date and time of Harald's funeral is yet to be officially announced. Until then, the late monarch will be lying in state in the palace chapel so the public can pay their respects.

Flags will be flown at half-mast across Norway during the period of national mourning. Mourners may wish to light candles and hold a moment of silence. 

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With King Haakon VIII, his daughter, the new heir to the throne, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and their family having now departed from the church, it's likely that's the last we'll see of the royals today.

Tributes are still flooding in on social media, including a post from the late King's daughter's former mother-in-law, Marianne Behn, who shared a heartfelt post dedicated to the monarch. 

Marianne honoured the late sovereign by sharing a photo of Harald ascending a wooden staircase alongside her late son Ari Behn, an author and artist who was married to Harald and Sonja's only daughter, Princess Märtha Louise, for 15 years until their divorce in 2017.

The Norwegian royal family's official Instagram account shared an insight into today's memorial service for King Harald, posting photos from inside the ceremony.

They captioned the emotional carousel: "His Majesty King Haakon, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja, and Prince Sverre Magnus attended the memorial service at Asker Church following the passing of King Harald. 

"The service was open to the public, and many people gathered to pay tribute to King Harald. Today, the Church of Norway is holding memorial services in all the country's cathedrals and in many churches across the nation."

A photo of the hymn sheet from inside the service revealed that the royals and fellow attendees sang "I Am in the Lord's Hands" in memory of the late King.

Unlike in Britain, there will not be a formal coronation ceremony. If King Haakon chooses, there will be a consecration at Trondheim's Nidaros Cathedral, where a royal crown will be displayed, but Haakon will not wear it. 

The last coronation in Norway took place in 1906 when King Haakon and Queen Maud were crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

Traditionally, Article 12 of the Norwegian Constitution of 1814 established that the King was to be crowned and anointed in Nidaros Cathedral.

However, in 1908, the coronation ceremony came to be regarded as undemocratic and archaic, and the Storting (supreme legislature of Norway), voted by a large majority to repeal the Article.

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King Harald's funeral will be held in week 37, the week after next, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK.  

The memorial service will take place at Oslo Cathedral, which is where the late monarch and his son, King Haakon, got married.

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Mourners gathered at a makeshift memorial at the Royal Palace square in Oslo on Sunday to pay tribute to King Harald V of Norway, who died aged 89 on Friday. Large crowds surrounded thousands of flowers, laid in honour of Harald, who stood as the oldest reigning monarch in Europe. 

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That's all from us for now. 

King Harald's funeral will be held in week 37, according to Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Our condolences are with the Norwegian Royal Family and the Norwegian people.

It has been newly been announced that the funeral service for King Harald V will take place on Wednesday, September 9. As previously revealed, the ceremony will be held at Oslo Cathedral at 1 PM.

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Per the official statement, the service will be led by Olav Fykse Tveit, presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway. The Bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver, cathedral cantor Marcus André Berg, the Oslo Cathedral Choir are among the others also slated to be involved..

Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit have confirmed that their state visit to Belgium, which was originally slated for September 8-10, has been postponed so as to attend King Harald's funeral service on September 9.

Their official announcement confirms that attendance from other members of the royal family will be shared at a later date, as will the new dates for their state visit to Belgium.