What Their Jewels Spoke Of_ The Secret Language of Farewell to King Harald V

When the royal families of Europe gathered in Oslo to bid farewell to King Harald V, the cathedral was filled with solemn black tailoring and quiet pearls. But behind the formal protocol was an intensely personal farewell. Pinned over the chests of the Norwegian royal women were miniature portraits of Harald, framed in rubies and sapphires he had chosen himself. Around the neck of the young new Crown Princess rested a delicate ruby heart, given by Harald over fifty years ago to celebrate the birth of the very son who now sits on the throne. And beside them sat ninety-four-year-old Princess Astrid, quietly wearing seventy-five years of history in three small medals.
Today, let’s take a closer look at the jewelry worn at King Harald’s funeral—and the remarkable family stories of love, duty, and memory they carried.