Story summary
Prince William represented King Charles, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, at the funeral of Norway's King Harald V on September 9. The funeral took place at Oslo Cathedral in Norway, and it was attended by a large contingent of international royalty, including Princess Anne, who attended in a personal capacity as the godmother of Haakon VIII, Norway's new king.
The late King Harald V, who died on August 28 at the age of 89, had reigned for over 35 years and was known for his modernizing efforts to make the Norwegian monarchy more inclusive. He was remembered by King Charles as a "dear cousin" and "much-loved kinsman and friend." The funeral procession from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral was attended by numerous royals, including those from Spain, Denmark, Japan, and Jordan.
In keeping with royal protocol, King Charles did not attend the funeral, but instead sent his son Prince William, who has previously represented him at other funerals, such as that of Pope Francis. Other notable attendees included Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, and Princess Charlene of Monaco. The service was followed by a private burial in Norway's royal mausoleum.
King Harald V's passing marked the end of an era for Norway, but it was also a moment for international royalty to come together and pay their respects to a beloved leader who had earned a reputation as "the grandfather of the nation."
Written for “King Harald Funeral Attendance” on 2026-09-10,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
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Norway's Harald V was laid to rest yesterday after a memorial service that evoked profound displays of raw and unfiltered emotion from typically stoic royals.
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Harald was Europe's oldest reigning sovereign after Queen Elizabeth II, ruling over Norway for over 35 years until he sadly passed away on August 28 at the age of 89.
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His state funeral was held at Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday as an extraordinary contingent of royals from around the world gathered in the Norwegian capital to pay their respects to the 'grandfather of the nation'.
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Senior members of 11 royal households – including Spain, Denmark, Japan and Jordan – were among the list of VIP guests at yesterday's historic service that included a procession from the Royal Palace to the Chapel, gun salutes and speeches.
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In the end, however, it will be remembered for the quiet gestures of love, the fervent outpouring of grief from otherwise reserved kings and queens and a touching display of solidarity with Norway's new King Haakon VIII and Queen Sonja.
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While Denmark's King Frederik welled up and was visibly emotional during the poignant service for his beloved 'Uncle Harald', the Princess Royal won praise from fans after they noticed the tender moment she shared with Harald's 89-year-old widow Sonja.
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Norway's new Queen Mette-Marit wiping away her tears as the late Norwegian monarch was laid to rest
The typically reserved Princess Anne held both of her hands as she appeared to console Haakon's grieving mother with kind words and reassuring smiles
The heir to the Norwegian throne, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra shared a heartfelt moment with her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus during the funeral
There was not a dry eye in Oslo Cathedral – from King Frederik X of Denmark to Norway's new Queen Mette-Marit and her heartbroken mother-in-law, Sonja, who was married to Harald for almost 58 years.
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The Danish royal house was among the first to send their condolences after Harald passed away peacefully at Rikshospitalet on August 28.
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In an open letter to Haakon VIII, King Frederik and Queen Mary remembered his 'unwavering calm' and 'dry humour' while reflecting on the close bonds between their families.
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'Your father meant a great deal to my mother (Queen Margrethe) and both of us,' the royal couple wrote.
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He joined duty and responsibility with presence and compassion.
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He was cherished like few others, and he will be missed by many.
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'
During Harald's funeral, 'you could see the pain' in Frederik's eyes as he mourned the late monarch, fans wrote on X.
At one point, the 53-year-old sovereign reached for Mary's hand as they bowed their heads when Harald's coffin was brought into the Cathedral.
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Queen Sonja was visibly moved when Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre paid tribute to the 'love' they shared in his speech.
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they → move → speech
'Queen Sonja, working by his side, played an inextricable part in King Harald’s service to the nation – her tireless efforts to promote culture, to celebrate nature – and her desire to experience far-flung places it is hard to imagine anyone could live,' he continued.
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Harald's widow Queen Sonja tenderly placed a rose on his coffin during the service at Oslo Cathedral
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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was among the speakers at the royal state funeral
Norway's Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra was poised as she joined her family in bidding farewell to her grandfather yesterday.
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She is seen with her brother, Prince Sverre Magnus
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Norway's Queen Mette-Marit captured in a sombre moment with her daughter, Ingrid Alexandra
Sverre Magnus looked emotional as he left his grandfather's funeral service
Princess Ingrid Alexandra could be seen thanking Prince William, who attended the funeral with Princess Anne, before they departed the Royal Palace
Norwegians watching the funeral reportedly began to 'openly weep' when the cameras cut to Queen Sonja crying softly during the prime minister's address.
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'I am in Norway right now, and this was the moment when the Norwegians in the room I was watching the funeral started to openly weep.
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They loved King Harald, but they mourn and feel with (and love) Queen Sonja,' one X user reported.
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Norway's Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra was poised and graceful as she joined her family in bidding farewell to her grandfather yesterday.
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In one video posted on X, the heir to the Norwegian throne could be seen comforting her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, when he became overwhelmed by emotion.
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The daughter of Haakon and Mette-Marit placed a reassuring hand on Sverre Magnus's shoulder when she noticed tears in his eyes before he returned her loving gesture with a small smile.
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Fans praised 'the sweet princess', with one person writing: 'The Norwegian people have won my respect due to this kindness.'
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It wasn't just Ingrid Alexandra's compassion that impressed royal watchers when footage of Princess Anne greeting the Norwegian family after the funeral was shared online.
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While the Prince of Wales officially represented King Charles III at Harald's funeral, Princess Anne attended the event in a personal capacity as King Haakon VIII's godmother.
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The Scandinavian kings, Haakon, Frederik and Carl XVI Gustaf, honoured Harald
Mette-Marit with Haakon, who placed a reassuring hand on his mother Sonja's back
Queen Sonja reacting to the outpouring of love for her late husband as she stepped out onto the balcony of the Royal Palace
Prince William greeting Norway's heir, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and offering words of condolences
While Denmark's Queen Mary tightly held her aunt Sonja's hand, the King's sister made time to express her support for Haakon, who ascended the throne after his father's death.
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Following the birth of Haakon on July 20, 1973, Princess Anne was named as one of his godparents, along with his late grandfather, Olav V, Harald's sister, Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, Sweden's Carl XVI Gustaf, Denmark's Queen Margrethe and Prince Carl Bernadotte.
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Reuniting with her godson, Anne warmly hugged Haakon VIII after Harald V was laid to rest at Akershus Fortress, as their conversation brought a smile to the new King's face despite the sombre occasion.
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When Anne noticed Queen Sonja standing by herself, she politely excused herself as William stepped forward to warmly greet Haakon in their first meeting since he became King of Norway.
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After executing a perfect curtsy before Sonja, the typically reserved Anne held both of her hands as she appeared to console Haakon's grieving mother with kind words and reassuring smiles.
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Princess Ingrid Alexandra could repeatedly be seen thanking Prince William, who attended the funeral without the Princess of Wales, and Princess Anne during a brief exchange before they departed the Royal Palace.
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The funeral also highlighted the strong bond between Norway and the Netherlands' future queens – Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia and Ingrid Alexandra – when the 'royal besties' reunited yesterday
Catharina-Amalia, the 22-year-old heir to the Dutch throne, gave her friend a hug as she joined her parents – the Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima – for the funeral.
The funeral also highlighted the strong bond between Norway and the Netherlands' future queens - Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia (left) and Ingrid Alexandra
Denmark's Queen Mary with Queen Sonja as Princess Anne is seen with her godson, Norway's new King Haakon
It was previously reported that Catharina-Amalia, Ingrid Alexandra and Belgium's Princess Elisabeth have a WhatsApp group chat.
In June last year, the Princess of Orange also told journalist Wim Dehandschutter via Australia Women's Weekly: 'We stay in contact with each other because we are all living a very specific life and we don't need much explanation to understand each other.'
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She added: 'It's a good thing that I can chat with Elisabeth and Ingrid Alexandra about very simple things in our life which are difficult, different for us, friendships, privacy, social media.
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We discuss how we handle it.'
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The late King Harald V was mourned on Wednesday by his 89-year-old widow, Queen Sonja, and son King Haakon with his wife, Queen Mette-Marit.
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He died due to a rare blood condition known as haemolytic anaemia.
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They were joined by other royals from around the world, including King Felipe of Spain, Queen Rania of Jordan and Princess Charlene of Monaco.
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The coffin was taken from the palace to the cathedral in a procession of senior Norwegian royals including King Haakon, foreign guests and representatives from Norway’s and other parliaments.
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coffin → take → parliaments
…and 5 more, not listed.
