Dozens of European royals and heads of state, including the Prince of Wales and three Nordic kings, paid their final respects to Norway’s King Harald V in Oslo on Wednesday afternoon. A massive procession lined the route from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral and the coffin was then carried into the cathedral for burial.
The funeral saw the Norwegian royal family, including new King Haakon, Queen Mette‑Marit and his mother Queen Sonja, stand beside the coffin while crowds gathered in the square outside the palace. At the ceremony a minute’s silence was observed across the country, and eight minutes after the service the spectrum of F‑35 jets flew over the cathedral in a symbolic missing‑man formation.
The royal family later returned to the palace balcony to wave to the thousands of their fellow citizens. The event was marked by a sense of unity among European monarchies with representatives from Sweden, Jordan, Monaco, Belgium, Spain, Japan and Denmark taking part. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier were also present. The President of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, delivered a eulogy, while Queen Sonja placed a red rose on the coffin.
The following day Haakon expressed personal gratitude toward his father, remarking on his steadfastness and values. The king’s reign of 35 years was described as that of a modernising monarch who had been a beloved “grandfather” of the nation, although his final months were marked by personal and public controversies that added complexity to his legacy.
The funeral service underscored the enduring bond between the Norwegian monarchy and its citizens, and the collective mourning that united the nation and its neighbours in a shared moment of remembrance.
