Photos: Large Oslo crowd bids farewell to Norway’s King Harald V

In PicturesSaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkA display showing Norway's late King Harald V prior to his funeral in Oslo. [Markus Schreiber/AP Photo]By APPublished On 9 Sep 20269 Sep 2026Norway has bid a final farewell to King Harald V, as the monarch’s coffin began its journey to a funeral attended by royalty and leaders from across Europe and beyond, with thousands lining the streets.A 21-gun salute echoed over Oslo at the start of the procession on Wednesday from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral. Harald’s son, King Haakon VIII, and other senior royals walked behind the coffin, which was draped in the red Norwegian royal standard.Harald, who died on August 28 aged 89, was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and had been on the throne for 35 years.He modernised the royal house but refused to follow the example of other elderly monarchs who have abdicated in recent years. His son became King Haakon VIII immediately, and last week swore an oath of allegiance to Norway’s constitution in parliament.Large crowds gathered in the capital for the funeral, with thousands standing behind barriers along streets lined with national flags.Among the guests were the monarchs of Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Jordan, the heir to the British throne, Prince William, Crown Prince Akishino of Japan and presidents from a range of European countries.King Harald's coffin leaves the palace for Oslo Cathedral. [Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB via Reuters]The funeral procession in Oslo. [Haakon Mosvold Larsen/NTB via Reuters]Large crowds gathered in Oslo for the funeral. [Peter Summers/Getty Images]King Harald V was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and had been on the throne for 35 years. [Peter Summers/Getty Images]New King Haakon and members of the Royal Guard stand next to King Harald's coffin during the funeral. [Claudia Greco/Reuters]Jordan's King Abdullah II and Queen Rania take part in the funeral procession. [Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP]Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store attend the funeral procession. [Gorm Kallestad/NTV via Reuters]The Norwegian royal house has close ties to other European royal families. Harald and Haakon are related to Britain’s King Charles III and Spain’s King Felipe VI; all are descendants of Queen Victoria. [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]The United Kingdom's Prince William was also among the attendees. [Peter Summers/Getty Images]Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the minister of tolerance and coexistence of the United Arab Emirates, also attended the funeral. [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]Bishop of Oslo Sunniva Gylver, right, arrives for the funeral service at the Oslo Cathedral. [Odd Andersen/AFP]Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia take part in the funeral procession. [Leonhard Foeger/Reuters]Norway’s monarchy traces its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century. When Norway regained independence from Sweden in 1905, three-quarters of voters in a national plebiscite backed restoring the monarchy. [Cornelius Poppe/NTB via Reuters]Today, the throne’s role is largely symbolic, with power resting in the elected government and parliament. But the Norwegian royal family continues to play an important part in promoting the wealthy Scandinavian nation abroad. [Lise Aserud/NTB via Reuters]