Norway Holds Funeral for King Harald V Attended by Royalty and Dignitaries

Norway will hold a funeral for King Harald V on Wednesday, attended by royalty and leaders from Europe and beyond, to honor the monarch's 35-year reign. King Harald, who died on August 28 at the age of 89, was Europe's oldest monarch and modernized the royal house, choosing not to abdicate like some of his contemporaries. Following his death, his son became King Haakon VIII and pledged an oath of allegiance to Norway's constitution in parliament last week. The funeral procession will begin at the royal palace and proceed to Oslo Cathedral, with King Haakon, other senior royals, foreign guests, and representatives from Norway's parliament participating. Norwegians have been able to pay their respects as Harald's coffin lay in state at the royal palace, with queues reaching seven hours over the weekend. The downtown area of Oslo will be closed to vehicles and electric scooters during the funeral, and large screens will be set up for public viewing. Expected attendees include monarchs from Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Jordan, as well as Prince William of the UK and Crown Prince Akishino of Japan. A minute's silence will be observed across Norway at the start of the ceremony, which will include eulogies from the parliament speaker and prime minister, as well as a candle-lighting ceremony with representatives of various faiths. After the funeral, the coffin will be taken to the palace chapel at Akershus Castle for a private ceremony before being lowered into the crypt. Norway's monarchy dates back to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century, and the monarchy was restored in 1905 following a national plebiscite. While the monarchy's role is largely symbolic today, the royal family continues to promote Norway internationally.