RismadarVoice Reporters
September 10, 2026
Thousands of people gathered in Oslo on Wednesday as Norway held a state funeral for King Harald V, with European royals and world leaders attending to honour the late monarch.
A 21-gun salute marked the start of the funeral procession from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral, where King Harald’s coffin was carried as crowds lined the streets of the capital.
King Harald V, who died on August 28 aged 89, had ruled Norway for 35 years and was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch before his death.
His son, King Haakon VIII, who succeeded him after his father’s death, walked behind the coffin alongside senior members of the royal family.
The ceremony was attended by royals including Spain’s King Felipe VI, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Britain’s Prince William and Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
King Harald was credited with modernising Norway’s monarchy while preserving its traditional role as a symbol of national unity.
Norway’s monarchy has limited political power, with authority resting with the elected government and parliament, but the royal family remains an important representative institution for the country.
