Norwegian royal funeral for King Harald V draws European royalty and leaders
A state funeral for Norway's late King Harald V will be held in Oslo, with senior Norwegian royals, European monarchs and heads of state in attendance.
Norway will hold a state funeral for King Harald V on Wednesday, with the coffin moving from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral in a formal procession. The ceremony will be attended by senior members of the Norwegian royal family, foreign dignitaries and representatives of Norway's parliament.
Harald, who died on Aug. 28 at age 89, was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and had modernised the royal house during his 35-year reign. His son, Haakon VIII, succeeded him and recently took an oath of allegiance to the constitution in parliament.
More than 46,000 people visited the king’s lying-in-state chapel at the palace over the past week, and authorities have prepared the city centre for large crowds, closing streets to traffic and setting up screens for public viewing.
Expected guests include the monarchs of Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Jordan, as well as Prince William, heir to the British throne, and Crown Prince Akishino of Japan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker are also slated to attend.
A minute’s silence will open the ceremony, followed by eulogies from Norway’s parliament speaker and prime minister, and a candle-lighting segment involving representatives of various faiths. After the service, the coffin will be taken to the palace chapel at Akershus Castle for a private royal ceremony before being interred in the family crypt.