Norway has begun saying its final goodbye to King Harald, with thousands of mourners gathering in Oslo for the funeral of the country’s long-serving monarch.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Oslo late on Tuesday and met with Norway’s prime minister to discuss the war in Ukraine.
He also joined the procession for the late king.
The United States was represented by Allison Hooker, Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, according to Norwegian media. The US embassy in Oslo declined to comment on her attendance.
Queen Mette-Marit attends funeral
Queen Mette-Marit, 53, the commoner wife of Norway’s new King Haakon VIII, attended the funeral. She travelled by car alongside Harald’s widow, Queen Sonja, 89.
Mette-Marit is recovering from a lung transplant she underwent in June. She was forced to cancel plans to attend her husband’s oath ceremony in parliament last week after experiencing complications following the operation.
Her son, Marius Borg Høiby, also attended the funeral despite being under house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor following his conviction for rape and
domestic violence.
He is appealing the sentence.
Høiby served as one of the pall-bearers during the transfer of King Harald’s coffin to the royal chapel, a decision that attracted criticism in some quarters in Norway and abroad.
Following the service, a smaller procession will accompany the coffin to the royal crypt at Akershus Fortress, overlooking Oslo harbour.
Harald’s coffin will be placed in a sarcophagus alongside those of his parents.
When King Haakon emerges from the crypt, Norway’s official mourning period will come to an end.
Flags that have flown at half-mast since Harald’s death will then be raised, while church bells across the country are expected to ring for an hour.
Thousands pay tribute to popular monarch
Norwegian police described the security operation for the funeral as the largest planned operation in the force’s history, with large crowds gathering across central Oslo.
Schools have also allowed children to miss classes so they can attend the funeral and pay their respects.
For many Norwegians, Harald’s death marks the loss of a monarch who remained deeply popular throughout his reign.
Elisabeth Kallevik Nesheim, 66, travelled from Norway’s west coast to attend the funeral dressed in black and wearing a veil over her eyes.
She said the king had meant a great deal to her family and to the country as an institution that brought Norway respect.
Hundreds of thousands of people have already paid tribute to Harald, leaving flowers, candles and Norwegian flags outside the Royal Palace and filing past his coffin in the royal chapel.
Many mourners have praised the late king for his inclusive approach to the monarchy.
King Haakon also described his father as a wonderful man and father in his first address to the nation after taking the throne.
Despite recent challenges surrounding the royal family, the Norwegian monarchy remains broadly popular.
A Norstat poll for broadcaster NRK published on September 1 showed that 72 per cent of Norwegians support the monarchy, while 20 per cent favour a republic or another form of government.
The poll was the first conducted since King Harald’s death.
