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King Harald V of Norway lightheartedly addressed his future burial site at the opening of an October 2024 speech, joking about a $2 million sarcophagus whose design remains under wraps.
The remark was prompted by a line in the state budget allocating 20 million kroner—roughly $2 million—to fund the custom coffin he will eventually share with Queen Sonja.
"The government budget this year included an item that, surprisingly, may call to mind pyramids and Egyptian burial chambers, before some people rush to Google, as we now say, to look up the meaning of the word," King Harald told the audience.
"I hope it will be well-padded so that the stay is comfortable. We're going to be there for quite a while, after all," he added, thanking authorities for "their concern for us in the hereafter."
King Harald, who died on Aug. 28 at the age of 89, will be placed in the sarcophagus on Wednesday. The sarcophagus has not yet been shown to the public.
A service will be held at Oslo Cathedral beginning at 1:00 p.m. local time (11:00 a.m. GMT), after which his casket will be transported in a procession to Akershus Castle, a medieval fortress overlooking Oslo Fjord. A private ceremony will then take place before he is interred in the crypt of the royal mausoleum.
The double sarcophagus was designed by Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta, which also designed the Oslo Opera House and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. It will be placed next to two other sarcophagi inside the mausoleum, a small structure inaugurated in 1949 as an annex to the castle chapel.
One sarcophagus, made of white marble, stands at the center of the room and contains the remains of Haakon VII, the first king of the current dynasty and Harald's grandfather, along with his wife, Queen Maud.
The other, made of dark green patinated bronze, contains the remains of Harald's parents, King Olav V and Crown Princess Martha. Both were designed by architect Arnstein Arneberg, who also designed the mausoleum itself.
Regarding the design for Harald and Sonja's sarcophagus, the royal palace has said it was developed "with respect for traditions" and in consultation with the couple. The royal mausoleum, which is usually open to the public during visits to Akershus Castle, is currently closed to visitors.
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