Royals gather in Oslo for funeral of Norway's King Harald V

World leaders and European royalty gathered in Oslo on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, for the state funeral of King Harald V of Norway, who died on August 28 at the age of 89 after a 35-year reign. The solemn ceremony at Oslo Cathedral marked the culmination of 13 days of national mourning for the monarch, who was hailed as a unifying "people's king" who modernized the Norwegian monarchy. Prince William of Wales represented his father, King Charles III, at the service, adhering to royal precedent that the sovereign does not attend funerals of other heads of state. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, attended in a personal capacity as the godmother of Norway's new king, Haakon VIII, who succeeded his father immediately after his death. The British royals joined a procession that carried the king's coffin, draped in the Norwegian royal standard, from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral. King Haakon VIII led the procession, accompanied by his daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, now heir to the throne, and his son, Prince Sverre Magnus. The new king's wife, Queen Mette-Marit, attended despite recovering from a lung transplant surgery in June.