Norway bids final farewell to King Harald V at state funeral
Norway held a state funeral for King Harald V, with royalty and world leaders joining a procession through Oslo before burial at Akershus Castle.
Norway bid a solemn farewell to King Harald V on Wednesday, as a funeral procession carried the late monarch's coffin through Oslo's streets, lined with thousands of mourners. The ceremony began with a 21-gun salute over the capital as the cortege made its way from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral.
King Harald's son, the new King Haakon VIII, walked behind the coffin, which was draped in the red Norwegian royal standard. The late king's widow, Queen Sonja, and Queen Mette-Marit followed in a car. The procession included senior royals from across Europe, among them the monarchs of Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco and Jordan, as well as Prince William of Britain and Crown Prince Akishino of Japan.
Political leaders also joined the mourners, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European heads of state. Harald, who died on August 28 at the age of 89, was Europe's oldest monarch and had reigned for 35 years. He was known for modernising the royal house but chose not to abdicate, unlike some of his contemporaries. His son took the oath of allegiance to the constitution in parliament last week.
Large crowds gathered in the capital for the funeral, with streets closed to vehicles and scooters. Public screenings were arranged in churches, libraries and city halls across the country. Over 46,000 people visited the chapel where the king lay in state, with queues at one point stretching to seven hours.
A minute's silence was observed nationwide at the start of the funeral ceremony. Eulogies were delivered by the parliament speaker and prime minister, and a candle-lighting ceremony involved representatives of different faiths. The government advised that noisy events be suspended during the funeral, though it was not declared an official holiday.
Following the service, the coffin was taken to Akershus Castle for a private ceremony and burial in the crypt alongside the late king's ancestors. Norway's monarchy, which traces its origins to the ninth century, was restored by popular vote in 1905 after independence from Sweden. The throne today holds a largely symbolic role, with power vested in the elected government, but the royal family continues to represent the nation abroad.