Prince William and Princess Anne joined members of Europe’s royal families in Oslo on Wednesday, September 9, for the state funeral of King Harald V of Norway, marking a solemn farewell to the monarch after his 35-year reign.
The Prince of Wales, 44, represented his father, King Charles III, at the funeral, while the Princess Royal, 76, attended in a personal capacity as godmother to Norway’s new monarch, King Haakon VIII.
© Getty ImagesWilliam and Anne were among the foreign royals who walked through the streets of Oslo as part of the funeral procession from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral. Thousands of mourners lined the route as Norway said goodbye to a king remembered for his warmth, informality and close relationship with the public.
Prince William Represented King Charles at King Harald’s Funeral
Prince William attended the service as the official representative of King Charles, who did not travel to Oslo for the funeral.
© Getty ImagesWilliam's presence followed a long-standing British royal precedent in which the sovereign generally does not attend the funerals of foreign heads of state. Instead, another senior member of the Royal Family is typically sent to represent the monarch.
Princess Anne’s role was more personal. She is the godmother of King Haakon, King Harald’s son and successor.
© WireImageThe British royals joined a remarkable gathering of reigning monarchs and royal family members, including King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Queen Sofía of Spain; King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands; King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden; King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark; King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium; King Abdullah II of Jordan; Prince Albert II of Monaco; and Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko.
© WireImageUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the political leaders who attended.
Prince William and Princess Anne Walk in the Oslo Funeral Procession
The day's ceremonies began with a procession carrying King Harald's coffin from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral.
A 21-gun salute sounded over the Norwegian capital as the procession got underway. King Harald's coffin, draped in the red Norwegian royal standard, was transported on a gun carriage.
© TOR ERIK SCHRDERKing Haakon VIII walked directly behind his father's coffin alongside members of the Norwegian royal family. Queen Sonja and Queen Mette-Marit followed by car. William walked with Princess Anne and other foreign royals as crowds watched from behind barriers along the streets.
The Norwegian Royal House had announced that foreign royals, heads of state, prime ministers and representatives of Norway's government and royal court would participate in the procession.
© STIAN LYSBERG SOLUMKing Harald Remembered as a Monarch Who Was “Close to the People”
The funeral service took place at Oslo Cathedral and was led by Presiding Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, with Bishop of Oslo Sunniva Gylver also participating. Norway observed a nationwide minute of silence at the beginning of the ceremony.
President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani paid tribute to Harald's connection with ordinary Norwegians. “King Harald was close to the people,” Gharahkhani said during the service, adding that the monarch “wasn't afraid to meet people in his rubber boots.” He also recalled words from Harald's 2008 New Year's address: “I wish we would stop using the term ‘the weakest in society.’”
Gharahkhani summed up the late monarch's service by saying, “He lived up to his motto: He gave his all for Norway.”
© ODD ANDERSENBishop Tveit reflected on the extraordinary public response to Harald's death, including the flowers and personal messages left outside the palace. “The love between the people and King Harald has not ended,” he said during the funeral.
More than 46,000 people had visited the Royal Palace chapel to pay their respects while Harald's coffin lay in state ahead of the funeral.
King Charles Paid Tribute to His “Dear Cousin” King Harald
King Charles issued a deeply personal statement following Harald's death on August 28. “It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway,” Charles said in the message released by the Royal Family.
The King praised Harald's decades of public service, saying he had served Norway with “unwavering dedication” and guided the country through change with “warmth and humility.”
© Lintao ZhangCharles also remembered Harald as a “much-loved kinsman and friend,” praising his “kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty.”
The relationship between Britain's and Norway's royal families stretches back generations. King Charles and King Harald were relatives through Europe's interconnected royal family, while the two countries also developed particularly close ties during World War II. Charles highlighted those historical and family connections in his condolence message.
King Harald’s Final Resting Place at Akershus Fortress
King Harald died on August 28 at age 89 after a 35-year reign. At the time of his death, he was Europe's oldest reigning monarch.
After the Oslo Cathedral service, his coffin was taken in another procession to the Palace Chapel at Akershus Fortress.
© LISE ASERUDA private ceremony was scheduled there for members of the royal family and invited guests before the coffin was lowered into the crypt. The historic royal burial site also contains the sarcophagi of King Haakon VII, Queen Maud, King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha.
