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

Queen Mette-Marit joined Norway’s royal family Monday as they carried King Harald V’s coffin from the Red Salon to the Palace Chapel in Oslo. The procession marked her first official public appearance since becoming queen after Harald died on Aug. 28 at age 89. Norway’s Royal Court said Harald’s children and grandchildren carried the bier through palace rooms, while Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja followed. The coffin was placed on a catafalque in the chapel, where a private family memorial was scheduled. The public can pay respects there from Sept. 1 until the day before the funeral. Harald’s son, Haakon VIII, became king immediately after his father’s death and is scheduled to swear allegiance to the Constitution before parliament Tuesday at 1 p.m. The funeral is set for Sept. 9 in Oslo. Mette-Marit underwent a successful lung transplant in June after pulmonary fibrosis, while the monarchy faces scrutiny over family controversies.