The Norwegian Armed Forces Memorial Day has been marked with Crown Prince Haakon placing a wreath at the national veteran monument at Akershus Fortress in Oslo.
At the ceremony at Akershus fortress, on November 6th 2022, the Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen gave the memorial speech before he asked the Crown Prince to place the wreath. Guardsmen from His Majesty the King’s Guard stood guard of honour at the monument. Parliament President Masud Gharahkhani was also present during the ceremony.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, the Crown Prince stopped at the memorial plaque which bears the names of those who have died in international operations, and the fallen were remembered in a minute’s silence. The National Veterans Monument was unveiled by King Harald in August 2021 and honours all personnel who have served in international operations since 1945. It consists of a stone monument, a bronze plaque with the names of those who have lost their lives in international operations, and the “eternal flame” shaped like a torch. On the monument the line “also we when it is demanded” from Norway’s national anthem is engraved.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, the Crown Prince participated in the memorial service in Akershus Castle Church, where the field priest, Lieutenant Colonel Kyrre Klevberg, officiated. During the service Crown Prince Haakon lit the Armed Forces’ memorial candle, followed by a minute’s silence.
This Norwegian memorial day was introduced in 2007 and the commemoration takes place on the first Sunday in November. This is the day to honour and remember all who have lost their lives in the Armed Forces’ service in and outside Norway. The main event takes place at Akershus Fortress in Oslo, but the day is also marked with events elsewhere in Norway and abroad.
