Norway to bid final farewell to King Harald V with funeral attended by royalty and dignitaries

Norway will bid its final farewell to King Harald V on Wednesday with a funeral attended by royalty and leaders from across Europe and beyond, who will pay tribute to the popular monarch’s 35-year reign.

Harald, who died on Aug. 28 aged 89, was Europe’s oldest monarch and had modernized the royal house, but refused to follow in the footsteps of other aging monarchs who have abdicated in recent times.

His son immediately became King Haakon VIII and last week pledged an oath of allegiance to Norway’s constitution in parliament.

Royalty and world leaders will gather in Oslo on Wednesday for the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V. NTB/AFP via Getty Images

On Wednesday, the coffin will be taken from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral in a procession, followed by Haakon, other senior Norwegian royals, foreign guests and representatives of Norway’s parliament and others.

Ahead of the funeral, Norwegians have waited patiently to file past Harald’s coffin as it lay in state in the chapel of the royal palace in Oslo.

The queue was seven hours long at one point over the weekend.

Large crowds are expected in the capital for the funeral.

The downtown area will be closed to vehicles and electric scooters, and police have instructed people not to bring bicycles, umbrellas or sharp objects. Large screens have been set up for people to watch the ceremony.

Harald was Europe’s oldest monarch and had modernized the royal house. AFP via Getty Images
Harald V died at age 89 after a 35-year reign. NTB/AFP via Getty Images
Members of the Norwegian armed forces arrive for the state funeral of King Harald V of Norway on Wednesday in Oslo, Norway. Getty Images

Among the guests expected to attend are the monarchs of Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Jordan.

The heir to the British throne, Prince William, is also expected, as is Crown Prince Akishino of Japan. Presidents from a range of European countries will join them.

A minute’s silence will be held across Norway at the start of the funeral ceremony.

Members of the public look at tributes to King Harald V of Norway outside the Royal Palace on Tuesday, in Oslo, Norway. Getty Images
King Haakon VIII, left, and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway attend the Oath of Allegiance Ceremony at Stortinget on Sept. 1, 2026, in Oslo, Norway. Getty Images

Eulogies will be delivered by Norway’s parliament speaker and prime minister, and there will be a candle-lighting ceremony with representatives of different faiths.

After the funeral, Harald’s coffin will be taken in a procession to the palace chapel at Akershus Castle, where the late king’s ancestors are buried.

After a private ceremony for the Norwegian royals, who will be joined by some of the foreign guests and senior Norwegian officials, it will be lowered into the crypt.

Five-year-old Sophie arrives at Palace Square to lay down flower tributes to Norway’s late King Harald on Monday in Oslo, Norway. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Norway’s monarchy traces its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century.

When Norway regained its independence from Sweden in 1905, three-quarters of voters in a national plebiscite approved restoring the monarchy.

Today, the throne’s role is largely symbolic and power lies with the elected government and parliament, but the Norwegian royal family retains a role in promoting the wealthy Scandinavian nation around the world.

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