Prince William will represent his father, King Charles, at the funeral for King Harald V in Oslo next Wednesday, a decision that follows the convention that reigning monarchs typically do not attend the funerals of other heads of state.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the Prince of Wales will travel to Norway to join the farewell on 9 September. Princess Anne will also be present, but in a personal capacity; she is godmother to the new Norwegian monarch, King Haakon VIII.
The late king, who reigned for 35 years, died last month at the age of 89. Thousands have already paid their respects during his lying in state at the chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo, and organisers expect large crowds for the funeral procession and the service at Oslo Cathedral.
Senior figures due to attend include the widowed Queen Sonja, members of the Norwegian royal family including King Haakon VIII, and other European royals. After the public service at the cathedral, the ceremony will conclude with a private burial at the royal mausoleum within Akershus Fortress.
Tributes to Harald have emphasised his reputation as a down-to-earth, modernising monarch who broke with tradition by marrying a commoner and who served as a unifying national figure. In a televised address, his son King Haakon said, "Thank you for being such a good dad." He added that his father represented the values of "a society built on law and justice, where everyone is of equal value."
King Charles paid his own tribute in a message praising his cousin for serving his people with "unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility." Photographs from earlier royal visits underline the family links between the two courts; William and his wife accompanied the then-Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit on a state visit to Oslo in 2018.
King Haakon takes the throne amid domestic strains for the Norwegian royal household, after revelations about a three-year friendship between Queen Mette-Marit and Jeffrey Epstein, for which she apologised, and the conviction in June of Marius Borg Høiby, who was sentenced to four years in prison and is appealing. While William attends the Oslo events, King Charles has returned to Scotland after meetings in London and will host Andy Burnham at Balmoral this weekend as part of the traditional annual prime ministerial visit.
