Thousands of Norwegians all over the country turned out on Thursday to lay down flowers, handwritten cards, flags, candles and torches in a massive show of support for their seriously ill 89-year-old King Harald V. It was a spontaneous show of support for a much-loved head of state.
King Harald remained in serious condition at the national hospital in Oslo Thursday night, with royal family members by his side. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre made it clear that in fact the entire nation was by the king’s side, as the piles of flowers mounted throughout the day, like here outside the Royal Palace in Oslo.
The tributes had begun Thursday morning, after news broke that the hospitalized monarch’s condition had deteriorated during the night. Norwegians began showing up outside the palace in Oslo, the royal residence in Trondheim, the main square in Bergen and other royal-related locations nationwide. A few flower bouquets were laid down outside the palace by midday. By Thursday evening, there were piles of them, along with hand-written cards and candlelights as concerned Norwegians kept streaming to King Harald’s home. The photo below cites one of the king’s many memorable speeches, when he spoke about how “Norway is you, Norway is us” and hailed both diversity and the need for tolerance and inclusion.
Quiet crowds of people were still milling around the palace as late as 9pm, when the stillness was also suddenly broken by a choir that started singing the national anthem. Others joined in, while royal guards stood on duty. The mood was respectful and sad, and then folks started heading home.
ALL PHOTOS: NewsinEnglish.no/Morten Møst
TEXT: NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
