Norway’s Queen Mette-Marit joins procession to bring late King Harald V’s coffin to royal chapel

OSLO, Norway (AP) – The coffin of late King Harald V of Norway traveled through the royal palace to its chapel on Monday, with Queen Mette-Marit joining the procession in her first official appearance since assuming the title.

Key points

• Harald passed away Friday at age 89, and his son, the crown prince, immediately became King Haakon VIII.
• Haakon, 53, will take the oath to Norway's constitution on Tuesday.
• Mette-Marit has been largely absent from the public eye after her lung transplant in June.

What happened

Harald passed away Friday at age 89, and his son, the crown prince, immediately became King Haakon VIII. While his oldest child, Ingrid Alexandra, became crown princess and heir to the throne, his wife became Queen Mette-Marit.

Haakon, 53, will take the oath to Norway's constitution on Tuesday. His tasks in the near future will include shoring up backing for the monarchy after controversies over his wife's past contacts with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his stepson's rape conviction.

Mette-Marit has been largely absent from the public eye after her lung transplant in June. She was diagnosed in 2018 with pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive disease that damages and scars lung tissue. It can cause serious breathing challenges, and there is no known cure.

The bottom line

For now, norways Queen Mette-Marit joins procession to bring late King Harald Vs coffin remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.