On September 9, 2026, the coffin of King Harald V was taken from the Royal Palace and transported to Oslo Cathedral in a funeral procession. The coffin was accompanied by King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja, Princess Märtha Louise, and Prince Sverre Magnus, as well as visiting members of royal families, heads of state, and representatives of Norwegian official authorities.
The funeral service for King Harald V took place at Oslo Cathedral. The service was led by Preses (Presiding Bishop) Olav Fykse Tveit and followed the Church of Norway’s order of service for funerals. The Bishop of Oslo, Sunniva Gylver, also took part.
King Harald’s family and close friends were present. Official representatives of Norway were also in attendance, together with guests representing King Harald’s life and work. Royal guests and heads of state from several countries also attended.
Among the members of the royal families attending the funeral were King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine, Christopher O’Neill, Princess Christina and Tord Magnuson.
The other attendees included King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian and Princess Benedikte of Denmark; King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia of the Netherlands; King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium; Prince William and Princess Anne of the United Kingdom; King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Queen Sofía of Spain; King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan; Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco; Grand Duke Guillaume, Grand Duchess Stephanie and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg; Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein; and Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan.
Following the funeral service, the coffin will be carried in procession to the Palace Chapel at Akershus Fortress. A private ceremony for the family will be held in the Palace Chapel. The coffin will be lowered into the crypt of the Palace Chapel, where the sarcophagi of King Haakon, Queen Maud, King Olav and Crown Princess Märtha are also located.
King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit will host a reception at the Royal Palace following the funeral service. Representatives of the Norwegian authorities, visiting heads of state, visiting royals and members of the family will attend.
Very beautiful and respectful send off, King Harald would have been proud.
ReplyDeleteI dont think some of the ladies where prepared to walk a mile in stiletos; Maxima and Amalia's heels were for another event!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdEH2DYsiax
They were probably briefed about the walk to the cathedral. The female members of Norwegian countries were all dressed.
DeleteI disagree the ladies were well aware they would be walking the short distance. Some people can walk in heels all day without a problem, I was one. A very respectful and well dressed crowd, kudos to the Norwegians.
DeleteThe Crown Princess wore flats for the walk then changed shoes after the walk. Very wise. It’s 1.2 km over rough road and cobblestones, not a short walk. I know some people can wear heels all day, but if you take a look at the footage you’ll see just how wobbly the highest ultra thin stilettos were!
DeleteR.I.P. and may God bless THIS family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more with your comment! (... but one exclamation mark is enough).
DeleteA very modern funeral!
ReplyDelete14:54 I thought it was a very traditional and respectful funeral, following the standard Norwegian church service, interspersed with a few beautiful and modern moments. The pageantry was superb, albeit with fewer horses than the Brits give us.
DeleteEverything was orchestrated to perfection.
DeleteA ceremony that lasted for over three hours.
Tears came to my eyes when I saw Queen Sonja.
I have recently been in the same position and I can tell you, it hurts.
Mary 2
Thank you Helen for all the photos.
Beautiful photos of a beautiful send-off for a beloved and much admired king, by his family, his countrymen, citizens and friends across Europe and the world.. May King Harald rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteLong live King Haakon VIII and Queen Mette-Marit.
- Anon 9:13
What a Great and Respectable King Harald V of Norway ......Rest in Peace .....
ReplyDeleteA very touching afternoon, very slow and respectful. It is interesting watching now, the King, Queen Sonja, and the Crown Princess, greeting their various guests and being able to watch how they interact with who how. It is a lovely privileged insight for the camera to be in the palace as they greet their guests. Regarding women's shoes, someone mentioned above, there were some towering and very fine heels (almost sticks they were so thin) that had the wearers looking more like tippytoeing than walking. It astounds me where fashion sits STILL that men's shoes are always flat and built for comfort, and women's are predominantly built for style, and when it comes to formal wear, we are expected to squeeze our feet into inhuman shapes ... while men's formal shoes allow easy standing and walking. I know it's changing, but not fast enough for our health. That's a minor aside though in response to a shoe comment above... I loved seeing all the various black dresses and jewels. Charlene stood out as she chose to wear trousers and no other woman did amongst the guests shown on tv. I think sticking to a dress would have been correct etiquette for this event.
ReplyDeleteA very emotional funeral! Beautiful speech of CP Victoria for her godfather King Harald. In fact she said the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi the same prayer she said in church during the wedding of King Haakon and Queen Mette Marit.
ReplyDeleteFashion wise they were almost all dressed very decently in beautiful black dresses or ensembles. Queen Mathilde f. ex. wore the same jewelry she wore at the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II of the U.K. : a choker with little pearls, pearl drop earrings and a butterfly brooch. I think she wore the same hat too.
contrairement à ce que vous laissez penser , rien n'oblige les femmes (sauf la mode) à porter des talons aiguilles aussi hauts !voyez la reine d'Espagne : elle est quand même élégante et sa démarche est plus fluide
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I was very touched watching Victoria speak but also the great warmth of all the Swedish family in greeting the Norwegians.
DeleteVery moving when Queen Sonja put a red rose on the coffin of her husband. I think I never saw so much people along the road to the cathedral, the place before the Royal Palace, in the streets in the neighborhood of the road leading from the Royal palace to the Cathedral of Oslo where big screens were installed for people who couldn't make it closer to the main road. On the screens they could also follow the ceremony inside the cathedral.
ReplyDeleteA lovely funeral. Traditional, modern and ceremonial. As expected. Also so heartwarming to see Sonja get the honor she so deserve. ♥️
ReplyDeleteAgree !!
DeleteEveryone looks immaculately and appropriately attired. Queen Sonja is very dignified and composed. I was particularly struck by King Felipe’s perfect military bearing and by the gravitas and poise of Crown Princess Victoria.
ReplyDelete-Royal Watcher
I was interested to watch the funeral and prior and after, all that NRK showed. I particularly noticed the warmth of certain royal guests towards the Norwegian royal family. As we often say here, a single "click" of a photo doesnt tell a whole story, but when we see these same people in motion, we see a lot more. I also watched apparent coolness between certain people, and that was interesting too. All up a wonderful send-off for King Harald, and I do hope the Norwegian Royal family now get some rest, and then find increasing peace after several turbulent years.
ReplyDeleteDid you see grand duke Henri of Luxembourg? I think it was the warmest hug of the day. Lovely to see how they bond.
DeletePoor little queen Sonja.
Coolness can also be respect...some people prefer a little distance. Not all people like to be mushy, mushy. It's not in their nature. These royals meet often and most of them are personal friends too. It's good to see the younger guard are following in these footsteps too. We could see and feel to bond between Ingrid and Catherina - Amalia.
DeleteQueen Mary and princess Victoria are both wearing finnish Andiata 🇫🇮
ReplyDeleteSo many ladies with sky high heels, bad choices. Amalia looks super uncomfortable, not used to walking with heels, sad.
ReplyDeleteI think Amalia has worn towering heels for many royal appearances. Like her mum! She doesn’t need to buy at the moment it is what she chooses. I noticed Ingrid Alexander’s lower but very lovely shoes and thought Amalia would love them too.
DeleteI don’t understand your comment, these ladies have a choice of footwear. Queen Letiza is an example of switching to a lower heel when SHE felt she couldn’t wear higher heels. They wear what they want, along with jewelry, dresses, colour of stockings, hats, gloves, hair style.
DeleteThe majority of the ladies looked very nice and I especially enjoyed the small hat-bands with the netting. Such a more modern look, even for mourning.
ReplyDeleteMee eens, en dan ook nog handschoenen aan. Zielig voor haar.
ReplyDeleteAwful hat on princess Sofia!
ReplyDeleteI loved her hat
DeletePrince William is bold!
ReplyDeleteDe magnifiques funérailles avec beaucoup de robes, quelques ensembles ; très peu de pantalons comme chez Charlène ; je ne parlerai pas des talons qui me donnent le vertige !
ReplyDeleteI'm always so glad when they all come together for serious occasions like this. Well represented. I feel so much for QS. They had a beautiful life together and were devoted to each other.
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