Norway laid King Harald V to rest in a solemn state funeral attended by European royals, world leaders and thousands of mourners who gathered in Oslo to bid farewell to the monarch after 35 years on the throne.
Harald died on August 28, 2026, aged 89, bringing an end to a reign that began in 1991. His funeral on Wednesday, September 9, marked the conclusion of 13 days of national mourning.
The funeral procession left the Royal Palace at noon, with Harald’s coffin carried on a gun carriage and draped in Norway’s red royal banner. A 21-gun salute rang out from Akershus Fortress as the procession made its way through central Oslo to Oslo Cathedral.
Thousands of people lined the streets, while others followed the ceremony on large screens around the capital and in other parts of Norway.
The Norwegian Royal Court said representatives from 85 countries, members of Harald’s family, friends, government officials and members of the public followed the monarch on his final journey.
The funeral drew one of the largest gatherings of European royalty in recent years.
Britain was represented by Prince William, who attended on behalf of King Charles III. Princess Anne also attended the funeral. The Times Court Circular confirmed that the Prince of Wales represented the British monarch at Harald’s state funeral.
Other European royals included King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, and Japan’s Crown Prince Fumihito Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko were also among the visiting royals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended, alongside presidents and senior government representatives from countries including Germany, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova.
Zelenskyy’s attendance came after his journey to Norway was briefly disrupted by a drone alert in Moldova. He attended the funeral before leaving Norway later in the day.
King Haakon VIII, who succeeded his father immediately after Harald’s death, led the Norwegian royal family during the funeral.
He walked behind his father’s coffin alongside Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Märtha Louise. Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja followed by car.
Haakon had formally taken his oath to the Norwegian Constitution on September 1, days before the funeral.
Haakon had earlier paid tribute to his father as both a monarch and a family man. In a speech following Harald’s death, he described him as “a tender and wise father” and “a welcoming and entertaining grandfather.”
He also spoke about the personal loss of a father whose public role had shaped much of his life.
“I’m going to miss him. I’ll miss his laughter. His good-natured way of dealing with people and situations,” Haakon said in his first televised address as king.
The public funeral service began at 1 p.m. at Oslo Cathedral and was led by Presiding Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, with Oslo Bishop Sunniva Gylver also taking part. The ceremony included a minute of silence observed across Norway, accompanied by church bells. The President of the Storting, Norway’s parliament, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre delivered memorial speeches.
“We are filled with a deep sense of gratitude: For 35 years with King Harald as Norway’s King,” Støre said. He described Harald as a monarch who “struck a balance between being stately and being down-to-earth.”
More than 46,000 people had visited Harald’s coffin while it lay in state at the Palace Chapel before the funeral. The Norwegian Royal Court said members of the public had travelled from across the country to pay their final respects.
After the cathedral service, Harald’s coffin was carried in a second procession to the Palace Chapel at Akershus Fortress. A private family ceremony then took place inside the chapel, where the coffin was lowered into the royal crypt.
Harald was buried alongside King Haakon VII and Queen Maud, King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha, continuing the tradition of Norwegian monarchs being laid to rest at the royal mausoleum.
After the burial, flags that had flown at half-mast were raised again and a double royal salute was fired. Church bells across Norway then rang for an hour.
The Norwegian Armed Forces played a major role throughout the funeral. About 3,500 military personnel participated in the ceremonies, with around 1,900 positioned along the procession route. Four F-35 fighter jets later flew over Oslo as part of the closing ceremonies.
The royal family subsequently returned to the Royal Palace, where King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja and other members appeared on the balcony to greet the crowds.
