Royals from Around the World Attend King Harald of Norway’s Funeral
Royals from Around the World Attend King Harald of Norway’s Funeral
Meredith KileWed, September 9, 2026 at 12:04 PM UTC
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Prince William, center, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, right, and Princess Anne and Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko of Japan joined the funeral procession in Oslo, Norway on September 9, 2026Credit: Ole Hagen/WireImageDozens of world leaders gathered in Oslo to pay tribute to the late monarch on Sept. 9 -
Dozens of world leaders gathered in Oslo on Wednesday, Sept. 9, for the state funeral of King Harald of Norway
Attendees included European royalty and other heads of state
However, Prince William attended as a representative of his father, King Charles, in keeping with a long-standing tradition that the British sovereign almost never attends the funerals of other heads of state
Dozens of world leaders gathered in Oslo for the state funeral of King Harald of Norway, including several kings, queens, princes and princesses.
The U.K.’s Prince William and Princess Anne, and the heads of the royal palaces in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco were seen arriving at the service at the Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday, Sept. 9 after taking part in the solemn procession.
In attendance at the service were King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Queen Sofía of Spain; King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands; King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine and Princess Christina of Sweden; King Frederik, Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian and Princess Benedikte of Denmark; King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium; King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan; Prince Pavlos of Greece; Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) and Crown Princess Akishino (Kiko) of Japan; and more.
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark joined the funeral procession in Oslo, Norway on September 9, 2026Credit: Ole Hagen/WireImage
One notably absent world leader was King Charles. Prince William attended as a representative of his father, keeping with a long-standing tradition that the British sovereign rarely attends the funerals of other heads of state.
Over the course of her 70-year reign, the late Queen Elizabeth only attended one: the funeral of King Baudouin of Belgium in 1993.
Princess Anne, 76, also attended King Harald’s funeral in a more private capacity, as the godmother of the new King Haakon.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, left, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden were among the mourners in Oslo, Norway on September 9, 2026Credit: Peter Summers/Getty
The funeral ceremony began with a procession from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral. The BBC reported that around 200,000 people were expected to line the route.
The King’s bier, the framework carrying his coffin, was followed by King Haakon, his children Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, Prince Sverre Magnus, 20, on foot along with many members of royal families around the world. Haakon’s wife Queen Mette-Marit, and mother Queen Sonja, 89, traveled in a royal car. Heads of state -- including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy -- and members of the royal court also joined the procession.
Inside the cathedral, the service was led by Presiding Bishop Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, with remarks by Masud Gharahkhani, the President of the Storting, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway.
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Following the service, the King will be interred in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress, alongside the late King Haakon VII, Queen Maud, King Olav V & Crown Princess Märtha.
The royal family will then make an appearance from the balcony of the Royal Palace before hosting select guests for a reception.
King Harald died at the Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet in the early morning hours of Friday, Aug. 28. He was 89 years old and had spent nearly two weeks in the hospital being treated for a rare blood condition.
King Charles, 77, shared a social media tribute to King Harald following the news.
Princess Charlene of Monaco and, behind her from left, Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, and Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands at the funeral on September 9, 2026Credit: Per Ole Hagen/WireImage
“It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway,” King Charles wrote in an Instagram post. “For thirty-five years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.”
Many of today’s European royal families share connected bloodlines thanks to the strategic matchmaking of 19th-century monarchs like Queen Victoria and King Christian IX of Denmark. Queen Victoria is sometimes referred to as “the grandmother of Europe” due to her links to many royal families.
Through their shared royal lineage, King Harald and the late Queen Elizabeth were second cousins, making King Charles and his siblings related to both the late King Harald and King Haakon VIII.
Princess Anne shares the honor of being a godparent to King Haakon with King Olav V of Norway, his late grandfather; Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, his paternal great-aunt; Prince Carl Bernadotte, his paternal cousin; King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, his paternal cousin; and Queen Margrethe of Denmark, his paternal cousin.
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