On Wednesday 9 September, the streets of Oslo were enveloped in solemnity as King Harald V’s coffin was carried from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral, and later to the royal chapel at Akershus Fortress for burial. The route was lined by thousands of spectators, reflecting the deep national mourning that had followed the monarch’s death eleven days earlier.
Close to 100 international dignitaries attended the funeral, including the Prince of Wales, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Frederik X of Denmark, and the presidents of Ukraine and Germany. Prince William and Princess Anne, who had travelled from the UK, stood side‑by‑side with the new Norwegian monarch, King Haakon VIII, who delivered a heartfelt eulogy that praised Harald for balancing “stateliness” with “down‑to‑earth” warmth.
The private ceremony at Akershus was attended by royal family members and foreign royalty, where a minute of silence was observed by all—except when a mobile phone alarm briefly interrupted the solemn tone. A poignant moment followed when Queen Sonja laid a red rose on Harald’s coffin, and the funeral was marked by four F‑35 jets flying over the cathedral in a military “missing‑man” formation.
After the burial, the royal family—Haakon, his wife Queen Mette‑Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Queen Sonja—waved from the palace balcony to numerous tens of thousands who had gathered outside, expressing gratitude for the support received during the mourning period.
Despite controversies in the king’s later years, including scrutiny over the queen’s contacts with Jeffrey Epstein and the criminal record of Marius Borg Høiby, Harald was remembered as a modernising and beloved sovereign who “made Norway greater.” His son Haakon thanked him privately for “being such a good dad,” underscoring a final familial tribute amid a national pause.
