Prince of Wales joins mourners at funeral of Norway's King Harald

The Prince of Wales ​and Princess Anne have joined other royals and European leaders at the funeral of King Harald V of Norway.

Prince William, representing his father, the King, was joined by, among other guests, members of the royal families of Japan, Spain, Sweden and Denmark.

His widow, Queen Sonja, 89, and his son and successor, King Haakon VIII and his wife, Queen Mette-Marit, attended the ceremony at Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday, along with other members of the Norwegian royal family.

Sonja, who is recovering from a lung transplant she underwent in June, laid a rose on her husband's coffin.

The funeral, which marked the end of 13 days of national mourning following Harald's death at the age of 89 last month, was preceded by a national minute of silence.

Tens of thousands of people, including schoolchildren allowed to skip classes, lined the capital's Karl Johan Avenue as the procession, which began with a 21-gun salute, made its way from the royal palace, Norwegian police said.

Crowds fell completely silent as the coffin passed.

The security operation for the funeral was the largest planned operation in the country's history, the force said.

Harald, a reformer who ​spent more than three decades on the throne after gradually emerging from the shadow of his popular and charismatic father, died at a time of multiple crises for the Norwegian royal family.

'He meant so much'

Elisabeth Kallevik Nesheim, 66, said Harald "meant so ⁠much for me and my family and for the whole country as an institution that brings us respect".

Hundreds of thousands of Norwegians have already paid tribute to Harald ⁠by leaving flowers, candles and flags outside the Royal Palace or filing past his ​coffin in the royal chapel.

Hoiby attends despite house arrest

Marius Borg Hoiby, Queen Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, was ‌at the funeral despite being under house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor after his conviction for rape and domestic violence. He is appealing the sentence.

Hoiby was one of the pallbearers during the transfer of Harald's coffin to the royal chapel last month, a decision that was criticised in Norway and elsewhere.

Crowds applaud Zelenskyy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of the heads of state attending the service after arriving in the Norwegian capital late on Tuesday for a meeting with ​Norway's prime minister to discuss the war with Russia, officials from both sides said.

Mr Zelenskyy was clapped and cheered by the crowds after he left the cathedral.

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Many mourners have praised Harald's inclusiveness, while Haakon described him as a wonderful father in his first address to the nation ​as sovereign.

Harald, a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, died last month after suffering a bacterial infection in his blood.

He was Europe's oldest living monarch at the time of his death, having spent more than three decades on the throne.

Charles paid tribute to his "dear cousin" and "much-loved kinsman and friend", praising Harald's "unwavering dedication" and his "kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty".

(c) Sky News 2026: Prince of Wales joins mourners at funeral of Norway's King Harald