Norway bids farewell to late King Harald

Norway’s King Harald V was laid to rest on Wednesday after a state funeral rich in pomp and ceremony and attended by dozens of European royals and heads of state following his death at the age of 89.

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.

Amid tight security, tens of thousands of people lined the streets to watch the funeral cortege move slowly towards Oslo’s Lutheran Cathedral.

Its progress was punctuated by the sound of cannons being fired from the nearby Akershus Fortress.

Mourners, some of them wearing their regional costumes, fell silent as the coffin passed by.

Dignitaries processing on foot behind the coffin included Britain’s Prince William, Japan’s Crown Prince, the kings of Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain, the presidents of Germany and Finland, France’s prime minister, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Representing the United States was Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the Norwegian government said.

Zelenskiy, who had held talks on his country’s war with Russia late on Tuesday with Norway’s prime minister, was applauded by the crowds when he later left the cathedral following the funeral service. ‘IT’S A VERY SPECIAL DAY’ Harald was a popular monarch, widely praised by Norwegians for his inclusiveness, a view much in evidence on Wednesday.

“We lost our king.

It’s a very special day.

And I think it’s a special thing to be a part of,” Adrian Soendergaard, 21, told Reuters as he watched the procession pass by.

Arve Stallvik, 56, a businessman, agreed: “(Harald) was very popular.

I think everyone liked him, so it was a moment for the history.” Hedda Michaelsen Mehlum, 23, said she thought the royal family remained very important for Norwegians, adding: “They do a great job representing Norway.” Hundreds of thousands of Norwegians had already paid tribute to him by leaving flowers, candles and flags outside the Royal Palace during the 13-day period of national mourning.

NORWAY’S NEW QUEEN Queen Mette-Marit, 53, the commoner wife of Norway’s new King Haakon VIII, travelled to the cathedral on Wednesday by car with Harald’s widow, Queen Sonja, 89.