King Harald V of Norway: Royal Family Gathers for Funeral
Listen to the story
Norway held a state funeral for King Harald V this week. Members of several European royal families attended the ceremony. Britain's Prince William was among the guests.
Queen Sonja, the king's wife, showed strong emotion during the service. Reports described her fighting back tears at several moments.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit was seen supporting her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, during the funeral. Haakon is expected to become the next king of Norway.
Many attendees wore the bunad, a traditional Norwegian outfit worn on special occasions. The clothing is often passed down through families and can show which region a person comes from.
The funeral was led by Sunniva Gylver, the bishop of Oslo. She has become known for breaking with tradition in her appearance and style. Gylver has dreadlocks and a nose piercing, which is unusual for someone in her senior church role.
She is also known for holding a 'yoga mass', a service that combines yoga practice with Christian worship. Her involvement in the king's funeral drew extra attention because of her distinctive image.
The funeral marked an important moment for Norway, as it prepares for a change in monarchy leadership in the coming period.
Vocabulary10 words
- funeral
- an event when people say goodbye to someone who died
- ceremony
- a formal event held for an important occasion
- bunad
- traditional clothing worn in Norway on special days
- bishop
- a senior leader in a Christian church
- dreadlocks
- a hairstyle with long, rope-like sections of hair
- piercing
- a small hole made in skin, often with jewelry
- monarchy
- a system where a king or queen rules a country
- crown prince
- a man who will become king in the future
- tradition
- a custom that has continued for a long time
- attendee
- a person who goes to an event
Quiz
Answer key
1. Crown Princess Mette-Marit 2. She has dreadlocks and a nose piercing 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Norway held a state _____ for King Harald V this week.
Members of several European _____ families attended the ceremony.
Britain's Prince _____ was among the guests.
Queen Sonja, the king's wife, showed strong _____ during the service.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit was seen supporting her husband, Crown Prince _____.
Many attendees wore the _____, a traditional Norwegian outfit.
The funeral was led by Sunniva Gylver, the _____ of Oslo.
She has become known for breaking with _____ in her appearance.
Gylver has dreadlocks and a nose _____.
She is also known for holding a 'yoga _____'.