This memorial service has a special meaning for King Carl Gustaf of Sweden (77). Martti Ahtisaari (1937-2023) was a long-standing and important companion of the monarch. The former Finnish president died on October 16 at the age of 86 and was honored at a state funeral on Friday. In the church, the king from the neighboring country took a seat behind the widow and her son.
“Today His Majesty the King said a final farewell to the former President of the Republic of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari. The funeral service for the President took place in Helsinki Cathedral,” said a corresponding post on the Instagram page of the Swedish Royal Court. “Kungahuset” published two photos from the ceremony. One shows the King of Sweden bowing to the coffin in the cathedral. The other shows the car with the late politician’s coffin in front of the church building.
In another post, the palace announced that the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Ahtisaari was also honored in Sweden. “The Seraphim Shield of the former President of the Republic of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, was carried from the Royal Palace to the Church of Riddarholmen,” the message said. Church bells also rang for an hour in honor of the president.
Ahtisaari was knighted by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1994.
