The World’s Royal Families Converged in Norway for the Funeral of King Harald V

“King Harald loved nature and was a man who adored being outdoors,” he recalled. Purple, too, has a specific symbolic function. It is the color traditionally associated with mourning and sadness.

The procession carrying King Harald’s casket from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral

King Harald’s final journey began at the Royal Palace at noon. From there, the casket set out, accompanied by King Haakon VIII, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus, and Princess Märtha Louise, who followed on foot. Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja, meanwhile, rode in the A-2, a custom limousine used by the royal family. Other family members were also present, from shaman Durek Verrett to Princess Märtha Louise’s daughters, to Marius Borg Høiby, Queen Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship. Høiby’s presence at the event was noteworthy—in June, he was convicted of two counts of rape and is currently awaiting a four-year sentence. Police allowed him to attend funeral events as he awaits an appeal.

The procession moved slowly, about 60 steps per minute. The king’s aides stood beside the casket. Foreign royals also took part in the procession, arranged in order of length of reign, with the reigning monarchs at the front, followed by the heirs to the throne, heads of state, ministers, and Norwegian officials. The Norwegians witnessed a similar scene 35 years ago, when the entire country bid farewell to King Olav in 1991. On that occasion, the funeral procession moved slowly through Oslo, followed by a large crowd, and the ceremony was attended by representatives from over 100 countries, including heads of state, members of royal families, and diplomats. Among them was the then Vice President of the United States, Dan Quayle.

On Wednesday, too, the route brought thousands of citizens to bid their final goodbye to King Harald. A massive security operation was organized, involving police forces from other parts of Norway, as well as personnel from the Armed Forces. Norway also requested security assistance from neighboring Sweden: K-9 units specializing in explosive detection were made available to the Norwegian police. The Nordic countries often share security resources during major events.

The coffin was draped in the red royal standard and carried on a gun carriage, pulled by a military Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Along the entire route, from the Royal Palace to the cathedral and then on to Akershus Fortress, approximately 1,900 soldiers were lined up on both sides of the street. At 12:00 p.m., 21 salutes were fired from military posts across the country, with a 30-second pause between each shot.

The Norwegian royal family—King Haakon VIII, Queen Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and Prince Sverre Magnus—took their seats in the cathedral to the right of the casket. In the second row, Princess Märtha Louise, her husband Durek Verrett, and her three daughters—Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora, and Emma Tallulah—took their seats. In the front row, on the opposite side from the Norwegian royal family, sat the monarchs of Sweden and Denmark, along with the Jordanian royals. When the casket was carried into the cathedral, all the guests stood. The choir sang a hymn to mark the start of the ceremony, which continued with a minute of silence observed throughout the country. It was a deeply moving moment. Queen Sonja, Queen Mette-Marit, Märtha Louise, and Ingrid Alexandra each cried during Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s commemorative speech. Queen Sonja eventually placed a red rose on the casket to bid farewell to her beloved husband.

Outside the cathedral, a large crowd followed the ceremony via loudspeakers. The atmosphere remained solemn and emotional, with many people huddled together in silence. Soldiers were also lined up in mourning formation.

A grand ceremony that brought together many monarchies, from Denmark to Jordan

The guest list made the funeral one of the largest recent gatherings of the world’s royalty. Representatives of European royal houses and heads of state arrived in Oslo, along with family members and close friends of the Norwegian royal family. The presence of foreign monarchs and dignitaries underscores the role King Harald played on the international stage during his 35-year reign. Most of the royals are staying at the Grand Hotel in downtown Oslo and traveled to the Royal Palace by bus. Meanwhile, as a gesture of the utmost respect for the late monarch, the royal palaces in Madrid, Monaco, and elsewhere flew their flags at half-mast.

Invitations to attend the funeral were extended to all countries with diplomatic representation in Oslo, as well as to member states of NATO, the EU, and the European Economic Area that do not have diplomatic representation in Norway. There is a specific international diplomatic protocol that establishes the order and precedence of the guests. Their position depends on several factors, including rank, closeness to the monarch, length of reign, and institutional role.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark were among the first royals to confirm their attendance at the funeral. The decision led to the postponement of their state visit to Belgium, originally scheduled for September 8–10. The official trip will take place at a later date, which has not yet been announced. The couple is staying on the royal yacht moored at the port of Oslo.

Queen Margrethe, a third cousin of the late King Harald, was also supposed to be there but was unable to attend due to recent health challenges. King Frederik X of Denmark was among the first royals to remember his uncle with particular affection. “He was a wonderful uncle to me,” the Danish monarch said, describing him as someone who was “always in a good mood and affable, ” capable of “always making the right comment.” Frederik then addressed a message to the new King Haakon: “He will be a good king, and I look forward to helping him in any way I can.”

Also present were Crown Prince Christian, Princess Benedikte, and Anna Maria of Greece, accompanied by their children Pavlos, Nikolaos, and Alexia.

The Swedish royal family was present in full: King Carl Gustav, Queen Silvia, Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine, and her husband Christopher O’Neill. The King of Sweden, who is King Haakon’s godfather, sent a telegram to the new monarch, describing Harald’s death as “a heavy blow” for Norway and assuring Haakon of the support of the royal family and the entire Swedish people. Relations between the Swedish and Norwegian royal families are particularly close. King Harald’s mother, Princess Märtha, was in fact Swedish. Furthermore, King Harald and King Carl Gustaf served as godparents to each other’s heirs to the throne.

During the funeral service, Princess Victoria read a prayer in memory of King Harald V.

Representing the Dutch royal family were King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, the Crown Princess of the Netherlands, and Princess Beatrice, who was a dear friend of King Harald. Also present for the final farewell to King Harald were Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stèphanie of Luxembourg, as well as Grand Duke Henri. Representing the Spanish royal family were King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Queen Sofia, the king’s mother. The presence of Queen Emerita added special significance to the delegation: Sofia, like other European queens of her generation, shares personal and family ties that have bound the continent’s royal houses for decades.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium also attend the funeral. Their presence holds special significance: Last March, the couple made a state visit to Norway and were received by King Harald himself.

Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan were sent as representatives of Emperor Naruhito. Emperor Naruhito had attended the funeral of King Olav V—Harald’s father—in 1991, and last June, he met with Crown Prince Haakon during the latter’s visit to Tokyo.

Crown Prince Alois and Crown Princess Sophie represented the small country of Liechtenstein. From the principality of Monaco came Prince Albert with Princess Charlene, and from Jordan, King Abdullah arrived with Queen Rania. Prince Kyril of Bulgaria, a close friend of King Haakon of Norway with whom he shares a passion for surfing, also made sure not to miss the event, accompanied by Princess Rosario. Also in attendance were Prince Alexander of Serbia and Princess Katherine. Turki Bin Mohammed Bin Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud arrived from Saudi Arabia.

From the United Kingdom came Prince William, representing his father King Charles III, and Princess Anne. The latter, who is King Haakon VIII’s godmother, attended in a private capacity. King Harald and King Charles III were cousins, and the British monarch referred to Harald as his “dear cousin” when, following his death, he sent his condolences to the Norwegian royal family.

The Vatican was represented by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Pope’s envoy, and Archbishop Julio Murat, the apostolic nuncio to Norway. Representatives of various religious denominations and faith communities in the country also attended the ceremony. Among the heads of state, the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and first lady Olena Zelens’ka stood out.

Marius Borg Høiby also attends King Harald’s funeral while wearing an electronic ankle monitor

Among the members of the Norwegian royal family present Wednesday at the king’s funeral was Marius Borg Høiby, the son from Queen Mette-Marit of Norway’s first marriage, who was granted special permission. Marius’s house arrest has, in fact, been extended beyond the date of his step-grandfather’s funeral, King Harald V. The order, which was set to end on September 7, will remain in effect until the conclusion of the funeral ceremonies.

Marius Borg Høiby has been under house arrest since last July, after being sentenced to four years in prison for two counts of rape and other crimes. The defense has filed an appeal against the most serious parts of the verdict, which are therefore not final. After spending some time in prison, Høiby was transferred to the royal residence at Skaugum, where he lives with an electronic ankle monitor. Prosecutors have repeatedly argued that there is a risk of reoffending, a claim firmly rejected by the defense.

Marius also attended other memorial services for King Harald that took place in recent days, sparking some controversy. In particular, he was present at the procession alongside King Haakon and other members of the royal family, who carried the monarch’s casket from the Red Hall to the Palace Chapel, where it lay in state until the day of the funeral. King Haakon VIII and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra led the procession. It passed through the Yellow Hall, the Hall of Mirrors, the Dining Room, the Small Banquet Hall, and finally the Grand Banquet Hall. Queen Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja, who were holding hands, also took part. Subsequently, the chapel was opened to the public for the “defilering,” the traditional procession past the casket, which allowed citizens to stop and pay their last respects to the king.

King Harald’s burial in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus

After the religious service at Oslo Cathedral, the casket was escorted in a second, smaller procession to Akershus Fortress, where a private ceremony took place. This second part of the funeral is reserved primarily for the royal family, members of other European royal families, and a few representatives of the Norwegian authorities. This marked the conclusion of the funeral rites.

King Harald was then laid to rest in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus, the official burial chapel of the Norwegian royal family. Here, a final moment of reflection took place before the interment. The coffin was lowered into the crypt of the Royal Mausoleum, where it was placed alongside the sarcophagi of Harald’s parents and grandparents: King Olav V and Princess Märtha, and King Haakon VII and Queen Maud.

At the end of the ceremony, when King Haakon VIII exited the church at Akershus Castle, the flags were once again raised to full height, bringing the period of national mourning for the monarch’s death to a close. A total of 42 gun salutes were then fired, divided into two salutes of 21 shots each, with a one-minute pause between them.

Immediately afterward, church bells across the country rang continuously for one hour to celebrate the beginning of the new reign. At the conclusion of the ceremonies, the royal family returned to the Royal Palace, following the same route taken by the funeral procession.

Once back at the palace, King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja, and Prince Sverre Magnus appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace, symbolically marking the end of the day of mourning and the beginning of a new chapter for the Norwegian monarchy.

About 450 guests at Oslo City Hall and a reception at the Royal Palace at 5:00 p.m.

While the private ceremony took place at Akershus, another official celebration was scheduled at Oslo City Hall, organized by the Norwegian government and presided over by Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. About 450 guests attended, including several foreign heads of state, government officials, representatives of institutions, and prominent Norwegian and international figures.

City Hall, one of the Norwegian capital’s most iconic buildings, was chosen in part for its security features and its strong institutional significance. It’s actually the same building where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each year. Finally, following the public and private ceremonies, a reception was held at the Royal Palace.

Harald V’s funeral marked the end of an era in Norway. Now, the reign of King Haakon VIII officially begins, as he is now called upon to carry on his father’s precious legacy.