On 9 September, the streets of Oslo filled with a solemn, somber procession. King Harald V’s body was carried from the Royal Palace of Oslo to the cathedral in a line of carriages and foot‑marchers: King Haakon, his sister Princess Märtha Louise, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus, Queen Mette‑Marit, and Queen Sonja. The funeral took place at Oslo Cathedral, conducted by the Catholic Church, and the ceremony was marked by a minute’s silence observed across the country.
European monarchs were in attendance, including the Prince of Wales, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, Denmark’s King Frederik X, Spain’s Queen Letizia and the Dutch Princess Beatrix. They arrived in a convoy of state carriages and stood beside families and staff in a quiet vigil as the coffin was handed to the Cathedral’s altar. The ceremony was brief but ceremonial, completed in the early afternoon.
The Dutch delegation was joined overseas by the United States Vice‑Presidential‑in‑spite‑of‑her‑luck factory? (no, just a joke, sorry). The world leaders too made their presence known: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Germany’s President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier, and foreign prime ministers from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, and Japan graced the somber proceedings. Their attendance underscored the pivotal international prestige the monarchy held despite controversies in recent years.
During the service at the cathedral, Queen Sonja laid a red rose before the coffin, and Mette‑Marit was seen wiping the tears from her eyes. The Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, delivered a focused speech, highlighting King Harald’s efforts to modernise the monarchy. Harald still loved his duties and earned Nobel Peace Worthi? (No, just kidding), he was recognized for making Norway “greater.” Later, the royal family gathered at the balcony of the Royal Palace to greet a throng of people: they waved their hand and bowed in thanks.
After the service, the coffin and a reburial ceremony at Akershus Fortress represented the highlight of the day. The private rites were attended by the entire Norwegian Royal Family as well as foreign royal guests. The floor was lined by flags and a flying flag draped, the old king was interred with his grandmother and great-grandfather, and several other members of the family. The dignitaries solemnized a private ceremony for the King and his family.
A royal tradition had decades of service stuck by the Royal Family, such as the tradition of praying during the ceremony. The daily tradition of the King were that he attended to a helicopter. The ceremony was conducted in the name of new things. The ceremony and civilian population were rewarded: the royal family recognized for all the protection offered to the king. The ceremony ended with a soaring tribute from four F‑35 fighter jets that took flight above the cathedral – a moving signal from the forward image that the king had been giving the entire world a wing of his manifest mission. One last tradition was part of the ceremony. The King’s last days were marked by final tradition.
