Dozens of European dignitaries and international leaders attended funeral services for King Harald V in Oslo on Wednesday, nearly two weeks following his death on 28 August at age 89. The Norwegian monarch had served on the throne for 35 years and was widely regarded as a modernizing and popular figure within the kingdom.
The funeral procession began with ceremonial assemblies at Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle that would later serve as Harald’s final resting place. Members of the immediate royal family, including Harald’s son King Haakon, daughter Princess Märtha Louise, and their children, walked behind the coffin on foot through the streets of Oslo to the cathedral. Thousands of citizens lined the route to observe the proceedings. Queen Mette-Marit, who recently underwent a successful lung transplant, and Queen Sonja, Harald’s widow, followed by car.
Attendees included Prince William representing King Charles III, the Princess Royal in a personal capacity, and approximately 30 other royal figures from nations including Sweden, Jordan, Monaco, Belgium, Spain, Japan, and Denmark. Among non-royal dignitaries present were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and five foreign prime ministers. During the cathedral service, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre delivered a eulogy describing Harald as having struck “a balance between being stately and down-to-earth.”
Following the burial ceremony at Akershus Fortress, the royal family appeared on the palace balcony to greet tens of thousands of well-wishers gathered outside. A minute of silence was observed throughout the country, and four F-35 fighter jets performed a “missing man” formation flyover above the cathedral. Norwegian flags across Oslo were raised from half mast to full height to mark the conclusion of the burial period.
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