Norwegian citizens have been laying flowers and national flags at Palace Square in Oslo throughout the day following the announcement of King Harald’s death, according to AP photography and reporting. The public mourning at the palace gates is the specific, visible expression of what Prime Minister Støre described as a nation in mourning.

Palace Square in Oslo is the specific public space that Norwegians use for national moments: jubilees, national day celebrations, and now grief. The accumulation of flowers and flags outside the palace is not organized; it is the spontaneous gathering of people who want to mark the end of a 35-year reign.

Flowers outside a palace are a simple thing. After 35 years, they are also a measure of what a reign meant to the people it belonged to.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT  

▸  State funeral announcement — the specific date and format

▸  International condolences — European royal families and heads of state are offering formal messages

▸  New King Haakon VIII’s first public appearance — as the country’s new head of state

CONFIDENCEHIGH

Public mourning at Palace Square, flowers and flags, and AP photography are from confirmed reporting.

SOURCES

▸  AP — Norway Oslo Palace Square public mourning King Harald, August 29, 2026