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Dozens of European royals and international dignitaries converged on Oslo on September 9 for the state funeral of King Harald V who died on August 28 at the age of 89 following treatment for a rare blood condition. A funeral procession carried the king’s coffin from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral where a service took place before burial at Akershus Fortress according to Reuters which reported that nearly all attending royals and guests walked behind the coffin. Prince William represented Britain’s King Charles at the event while Princess Anne attended in a private capacity as godmother to the new Norwegian king a BBC News dispatch noted adding that large crowds lined the streets of the capital.
The gathering included King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden King Willem-Alexander Queen Maxima Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands as well as King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain a Tatler compilation of attendees detailed. Additional participants encompassed King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco members of the Luxembourg and Liechtenstein royal families Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and non-European figures such as King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan plus Japan’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess according to a Wikipedia entry drawing on official court releases. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also joined the mourners a CNN report confirmed as did presidents from Germany Finland and other nations.
King Harald’s death triggered a 13-day period of national mourning during which more than 46,000 people filed past his coffin while it lay in state at the palace the Reuters dispatch placed the figure at tens of thousands who also left flowers and tributes outside the Royal Palace. His son ascended immediately as King Haakon VIII adopting the family motto “All for Norway” and swearing an oath to the constitution in parliament a Guardian article from the day of the death recorded. The late king was widely described as a popular modernising monarch who married a commoner and maintained strong public support even amid recent challenges to the institution according to a separate Reuters assessment published on the day of the funeral.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre who attended the ceremonies stated that “a whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway” in a televised address carried by multiple outlets including the BBC. Mourners interviewed on the streets echoed the sentiment with one telling Reuters “We lost our king. It’s a very special day. And I think it’s a special thing to be a part of.” Another resident Adrian Soendergaard aged 21 added that the occasion marked “a moment for the history” as quoted in the same wire service coverage.
The event marked one of the largest gatherings of reigning European houses in recent years bringing together families with longstanding ties to the Norwegian royals a Town & Country magazine overview observed. King Harald had shared a great-grandfather with the late Queen Elizabeth II fostering close connections to the British family over decades according to Tatler which highlighted the historical links. Tributes poured in from across the continent with leaders praising his dedication to unity and service as compiled in reports from Al Jazeera and the Independent.
Security measures for the funeral represented the largest operation in Norwegian history with streets closed and screens erected for public viewing of the service a Brussels Signal article reported. The ceremonies concluded with a private interment at the Royal Mausoleum where the king was placed in a specially commissioned sarcophagus according to details from the Norwegian royal court relayed via Wikipedia. Public backing for the monarchy has held steady through the transition with many citizens expressing appreciation for the continuity it provides the Reuters piece on the funeral emphasised.
