Norway's royal family waves to crowds from palace balcony after King Harald's funeral

Summary

Norway's royal family has appeared on the Royal Palace balcony to wave at crowds who gathered to pay tribute to King Harald V after his funeral in Oslo - watch live coverage above
Flags have been raised from half-mast to mark the conclusion of a private ceremony at Akershus Fortress, where the king was laid to rest in the crypt of the Palace Chapel after a public service at Oslo Cathedral
Tens of thousands of people have lined the streets to pay their respects after 13 days of national mourning
The late monarch died in August after 35 years on the throne - here's a mini profile of the 89-year-old. His son, Haakon VIII, has now succeeded him
Prince of Wales is representing King Charles III while Princess Royal - godmother to the new Norwegian king - is in attendance but in a private capacity
As well as European royalty, international figures such as King Abdullah II of Jordan and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky are at the funeral

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Norway bids farewell to King Harald

Live Reporting

Edited by Joe Coughlan

Tens of thousands gather for funeral of King Harald Vpublished at 17:32 BST
Joe Coughlan
Live reporter
Image source, Reuters
King Harald V of Norway has been laid to rest following a funeral procession that drew tens of thousands of people to the streets of Oslo to pay their respects.
The late monarch, who died last month aged 89, spent 35 years on the throne and was remembered during a public service in the capital's cathedral.
Family and special guests then gathered for a private ceremony in the Palace Chapel at Akershus Fortress for the king's burial - the end of which was marked by flags being raised from half-mast and a royal salute.
Figures in attendance included the Prince of Wales on behalf of King Charles III, as well as the Princess Royal, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The procession ended with the new King Haakon VIII waving from the Royal Palace balcony, marking the beginning of a new reign for the country.
We will be closing this page shortly, but you can read more in our news story.
Image source, Reuters
Who is Haakon VIII, Norway's new king?published at 17:14 BST
Image source, Reuters
Haakon VIII was born in Oslo in July 1973, the the only son of the late King Harald and his wife Queen Sonja - and younger brother to Princess Märtha Louise. He is also a great-great-great-grandson of Britain's Queen Victoria.
By Haakon's own admission, he struggled at times to accept his royal status in his early years, writing in his 2023 autobiography: "Yes, I was a royal, but I did not want to talk about it... At school it made me anxious."
He became crown prince in 1991 at the tender age of 17, following the death of his grandfather King Olav V. After graduating from the Norwegian Naval Academy in 1995, he enrolled at the University of Berkeley to study political science.
Shortly after his return to Norway in 1999, he met his now-wife Mette-Marit - a single mother to a four-year-old child whose father had served time for a conviction of cocaine possession.
Their relationship was met with a fierce public debate from its early days but the pair ultimately married in 2001 and had two children, Crown Princess Ingrid-Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Haakon has become the king at a turbulent time for Norway's royal family. Only this year, Mette-Marit, now Queen of Norway, apologised for her friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and her son has been convicted of rape in a high-profile trial. Marius Borg Høiby is appealing against the conviction.
The new queen, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, is also recovering from a lung transplant.
- You can read more about Norway's new king in our profile

King Harald V: A life in picturespublished at 16:56 BST
Here's a look at the late King's life in pictures.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Harald was Norway's first king to be born in the country since the 14th Century
Image source, Getty Images
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He met his wife Sonja - a commoner - in 1959 but had to wait nine years before he was allowed to marry her
Image source, Getty Images
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The couple welcomed their eldest child Märtha Louise in 1971, and their son Haakon in 1973
Image source, Getty Images
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Harald and Sonja regularly supported Norway's teams at the Olympics
Image source, Getty Images
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Harald and Elizabeth II were second cousins
Image source, Getty Images
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Harald has been succeeded by his son, Haakon (fourth from left), pictured here on Norwegian Constitution Day in May 2025
Norway's king and queen hold private receptionpublished at 16:45 BST
Norway's new king and queen are now hosting a private reception at the Royal Palace.
It's being attended by visiting heads of states, visiting royals, Norwegian officials and the Norwegian royal family, a press statement from the royal family says.
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra greet people at the reception at the Palace

Marius Borg Høiby pictured attending funeralpublished at 16:34 BST
Image source, Getty Images
Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been pictured at the funeral of King Harald V.
As we reported earlier Queen Mette-Marit's son arrived at the cathedral with Märtha Louise's children and sat beside them in the second row.
He is not himself a royal figure - his mother married then Crown Prince Haakon when he was four, and he grew up within the family.
He was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison in June. His lawyers have said they will appeal. Høiby, who is under house arrest, has been allowed out with an ankle tag for the funeral service.
Image source, Reuters
Norwegian royal family's balcony moment as supporters applaudpublished at 16:16 BST
The Norwegian royal family has waved to thousands of people gathered below the Royal Palace.
They moved to different sides of the balcony to greet the applauding crowds.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Reuters

In pictures: Crowds gather for balcony moment at Royal Palacepublished at 16:03 BST
The Norwegian royal family has appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace, where crowds have flocked to get a good position.
Here's how it looks...
Image source, Reuters
Image source, AFP Via Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Royal family greets crowds from palace balconypublished at 15:58 BST
Lars Bevanger
in Oslo
Image source, Reuters
The royal family has just come out onto the Royal Palace balcony to greet the tens of thousands of people who have gathered outside.
The crowd is cheering and clapping as the royals wave back.
This is a way for King Haakon VIII, Queen Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and the late King Harald’s widow Queen Sonja to show their gratitude for the support they have received since the King’s death on 28 August.
The King’s flag that had been flying at half-mast since the day of King Harald’s death has been replaced with the Norwegian state flag, flying at full mast.
This marks the end of the official programme for the day, but inside the palace there will be a reception hosted by the king and queen. Many of the foreign royals, heads of state and other leaders who took part in the funeral procession are expected to attend.

Who's who in the Norwegian royal family?published at 15:49 BST
Harald was born on 21 February 1937 on the Skaugum estate near Oslo, becoming the first king born in Norway since the 14th Century.
He later married Queen Sonja in 1968 and the pair had two children together, Princess Märtha Louise and the new King Haakon.
The king's daughter initially married a Norwegian writer, Ari Behn, before controversially remarrying an American self-styled shaman, Durek Verrett, in 2024.
Haakon married Mette-Marit in 2001, the king and queen welcomed her four-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby, from a previous relationship.
Haakon and Mette-Marit have two children together, Crown Princess Ingrid and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Royal Family arrive back at palacepublished at 15:23 BST
Image source, Reuters
The Norwegian royal family are now returning to the Royal Palace after leaving Akershus Fortress, having followed the same route that was in place for the funeral procession earlier.
King Haakon will then appear on the balcony of the palace, before the new king and queen host a reception for representative officials, visiting royals and family members.

Flags rise as royal salute firespublished at 15:04 BST
Image source, Reuters
The royal salute is now taking place, as Norwegian flags across Oslo are being raised from half mast to the top to mark the end of the burial.
Church bells are ringing too, which will ring throughout Norway for one hour.
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
Image caption,
The funeral salute fired from Akershus Fortress
Three Nordic kings behind Harald's casketpublished at 14:45 BST
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
As Harald's coffin was carried out of Oslo Cathedral on its way to Akershus Fortress for burial, King Haakon walked behind, with the kings of Sweden and Denmark either side of him.
The three Nordic royal families are known to be close and having the new king flanked by King Carl XVI Gustaf and King Frederik X of Denmark is being viewed as highly symbolic.
Haakon is especially close to Carl Gustaf, who began his personal message to the new monarch with the words "Dear godson", when King Harald died.
Commentators have pointed out that this degree of Nordic unity was not visible when Harald's father King Olav V died in 1991.
Norway's king is also close to the British royal family, and Princess Anne is Haakon's godmother.

Procession arrives at Akershus Fortresspublished at 14:18 BST
The King Harald's funeral procession has now arrived at Akershus Fortress.
His casket will be lowered into the crypt of the Palace Chapel after a private service for family members and others.
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
In pictures: International royals and politicians attend ceremonypublished at 13:52 BST
As we have reported, numerous heads of state, politicians and royals from around the world have joined the proceedings.
Some of the many guests have been pictured at the cathedral or walking as part of the procession for the late King Harald in Oslo.
Image source, Getty Images
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Prince William and Princess Anne were pictured walking solemnly behind Japan's Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko during the procession
Image source, Reuters
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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier walked alongside Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky
Image source, Getty Images
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King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium were also in attendance
Image source, Reuters
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Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia, the King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, and the Netherlands' Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, could also be seen in the procession to the cathedral
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson walks through the procession

Where King Harald will be laid to restpublished at 13:35 BST
Image source, Getty Images
The procession is making its way to Akershus Fortress, where King Harald V will be laid to rest.
The fortress sits in central Oslo and has overlooked the city for more than 700 years.
The Royal Mausoleum, where Norway's monarchs are buried, is located beneath the castle church within the fortress's grounds.
King Harald will be laid to rest there alongside several members of the royal family, including his father King Olav V, his mother Crown Princess Märtha, and his grandparents, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud.
Casket being moved to Akershus Fortress following servicepublished at 13:23 BST
Image source, Reuters
The funeral service has ended and at the end of the service, four F-35 fighter jets flew over the cathedral in a "missing man" formation.
King Harald's casket is now being carried in a procession to the Palace Chapel at Akershus Fortress.
A private ceremony for family members will be held in the fortress's chapel which members of royal families from other countries and other guests such as the president of the Norwegian parliament (the Storting) and the country's prime minister will attend.
Image source, Reuters

Sweden's crown princess recites prayer in Swedishpublished at 13:13 BST
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden has played a special part in the funeral service, reciting the prayer of St Francis of Assisi.
Princess Victoria was King Harald's god-daughter and she and her family have a special affinity with the Norwegian royal family.
After Harald's death Victoria paid tribute to her "Uncle Harald", hailing him as "an exceptionally nice person, a role model".
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia are also attending the service, along with Prince Daniel, Princess Madeleine, Chris O'Neill, Princess Christina and her husband Tord Magnuson.
The significance of Oslo Cathedralpublished at 13:09 BST
Image source, Getty Images
The church for King Harald's funeral service is situated in the city centre of Oslo, and was consecrated in 1697.
The cathedral was previously known as Vår Frelsers Kirke, meaning "our saviour's church", and is comprised of Dutch bricks painted yellow and red.
Oslo Cathedral has also hosted several royal weddings since Norway's monarchy was restored in 1905 after the country gained independence from Sweden.
This includes the nuptials of the new King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit, as well as the late King Harald's and Queen Sonja's.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Image caption,
Harald and Sonja leave Oslo Cathedral on their wedding day

Queen's tears during funeral servicepublished at 12:56 BST
Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Queen Mette-Marit alongside King Haakon is seen wiping her eyes during the funeral service
One of the defining images so far of the service is of Queen Mette-Marit wiping her eyes alongside the rest of the royal family close to King Harald's coffin. The new queen missed King Haakon's swearing-in ceremony last week because of "complications" after her recent lung transplant.
On the far left of the front row is Harald's widow Queen Sonja, next to King Haakon. To Mette-Marit's right are Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Queen Sonja laid a red rose on Harald's coffin and bowed before returning to her seat.
Behind the royal family in the second row are King Haakon's sister, Princess Märtha Louise and her husband Durek Verrett, alongside their three children. Verrett has just recovered from a kidney transplant last month.
Queen Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby had earlier arrived at the cathedral with Märtha Louise's children and sat beside them in the second row. He is not a member of the royal family.
Image source, Lise Åserud/NTB
Image caption,
Queen Sonja is seen laying a red rose on Harald's coffin
Harald V: A beloved monarch buffeted by family crisespublished at 12:41 BST
Image source, Getty Images
Norway's King Harald V died last month aged 89 after 35 years on the throne.
He will be widely remembered as a popular and reforming figure who modernised the monarchy, broke with tradition by marrying a commoner and served as a unifying figure at Norway's most difficult moments.
Royal observers say he was down-to-earth, respected and beloved, describing him as a "grandfather" of the nation and the "people's king" - a title also used by his father King Olav V.
But more recently, King Harald and his family have faced personal challenges and scandal.
Marius Borg Høiby - the Norwegian crown princess's son - was convicted of multiple offences in June including two counts of rape.
Høiby is not a royal figure himself, but grew up within the family after his mother married King Haakon when he was four.
In another blow, documents were released days before the trial began revealed his mother Mette-Marit's frequent contact with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The crises surrounding the monarchy have had an effect on its popularity. One poll for newspaper Aftenposten suggested support had dropped from 72% in 2024 to 54%.
Read more about the late king in our profile.
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
Marius Borg Høiby (L) and Crown Princess Mette-Marit