Funeral of King Harald V of Norway scheduled for 9 September

“ A king Harald's funeral ceremony V will take place in Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday, 9 September, at 13:00′′, local time (12:00 in Lisbon), indicated a statement by the Norwegian royal family, quoted by France-Presse news agency (AFP).

Harald V died on Friday morning and his son, 53-year-old Crown Prince Haakon, assumed the throne as Haakon VIII.

In what was his first speech as King, Haakon VIII recalled on Saturday his father as a dedicated monarch and thanked the many manifestations of affection of the Norwegian people.

Tens of thousands of people paid homage to the late monarch, leaving flowers and condolence cards at the Royal Palace in Oslo, where Harald V's coffin arrived on Friday night from the hospital.

The Norwegian monarchy has ancient roots, dating back to King Harald Belo Hair in the 9th century. When Norway regained independence from Sweden in 1905, three quarters of the voters approved, in a national plebiscite, the restoration of the monarchy.

Today, the monarch's role is above all symbolic, since political power belongs to an elected parliament. Still, the royal family continues to have great public projection and plays a role in the international promotion of the country.