Prince William to represent King Charles at funeral of King Harald V
The Prince of Wales joins Princess Anne in Norway for the funeral of King Harald V, while King Haakon VIII begins a reign marked by royal instability.
The solemnity of the September 9 funeral for King Harald V at Oslo Cathedral arrives as the Norwegian monarchy navigates a period of acute instability. While thousands of mourners have filled the streets of Oslo to honor a monarch remembered for his warmth and modernization of the throne, the reign of King Haakon VIII begins under the shadow of criminal convictions within the royal circle and health crises for the new queen.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, will represent King Charles III at the service.
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Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince William, 44, will attend the service in Oslo in place of King Charles III. The arrangement adheres to state protocol, which dictates that British monarchs do not attend the funerals of other heads of state, typically delegating the duty to another member of the royal family. William previously fulfilled this role in April 2025 when he represented his father at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican, according to the Daily Mail.
Joining the Prince of Wales is his aunt, Princess Anne, 76. Unlike William's official representation of the crown, the Princess Royal is attending in a private and personal capacity as the godmother to the new monarch, King Haakon VIII.
The bond between the two houses is rooted in direct lineage. King Harald V and the late Queen Elizabeth II were second cousins who shared great-grandparents King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. King Charles III described the late monarch as a dear cousin
and much-loved kinsman and friend
, via the Mirror.
| Official Attendee | Capacity | Relationship to Deceased/New King |
|---|---|---|
| Prince William | Official Representative of King Charles III | Cousin (via lineage) |
| Princess Anne | Private/Personal | Godmother to King Haakon VIII |
The Legacy of the 'People's King'
King Harald V died on August 28 at the age of 89 after being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a disorder where red blood cells are destroyed at an abnormally fast rate, the Daily Mail reports. During his 35-year reign, he was hailed as an inclusive people's king
who transitioned the monarchy into the modern era.
Lbc notes that Harald opened parts of the Royal Palace in Oslo to the public and approved renovations to make the institution more accessible. The public response to his death included crowds gathering at the palace to lay flowers, flags flying at half-mast, and the opening of city halls for condolence books.
His funeral, scheduled for 1 p.m. On September 9, will be led by Olav Fykse Tveit, the president of the Church of Norway.
A Monarchy in Crisis
The transition to King Haakon VIII has been marred by severe family scandals. In June, an Oslo court convicted Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Queen Mette-Marit, on two counts of rape and sentenced him to four years in prison. The trial revealed allegations of drug abuse, sexual misconduct, and violence, including the assault of his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland. While he was acquitted of two other rape charges, the conviction represents a significant fall for a man who grew up in the public eye after his mother married the then-Crown Prince in 2001, according to the Daily Mail.
Queen Mette-Marit, 53, has faced her own period of scrutiny. The release of the Epstein Files
revealed she stayed at Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach residence in 2013. Mette-Marit has since claimed she was misled by the sex offender.
Her presence at the start of the new reign has been inconsistent. She missed King Haakon's swearing-in ceremony at the Storting due to complications from a lung transplant. Dr. Are Holm of Norway's National Hospital confirmed her absence, stating that complications following such operations are not uncommon and required the queen to be observed throughout the day.
Further instability stems from Princess Martha Louise, who relinquished her royal role in November 2022 — a move described by some as Norway's Megxit
— to pursue a life with her shaman husband, Durek Verrett. The couple has been the subject of a Netflix show, Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story
.
The Stabilizing Role of Ingrid Alexandra
Amidst these crises, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra has been positioned as the monarchy's saving grace
. At 22, she is the heir apparent and would be the first female monarch in Norway in over 600 years if she were to ascend, the first since Queen Margaret I died in 1412.
Ingrid has taken active steps to solidify the throne's legitimacy. During her father's Oath of Allegiance ceremony in early September, she submitted a written declaration pledging to follow the laws and Constitution of Norway should she ever be required to rule. This formal commitment stands in contrast to the various family fractures currently facing the house.
The funeral on September 9 will bring together an array of international royalty, including King Philippe of Belgium, King Felipe of Spain, and King Frederik of Denmark, as the Norwegian house attempts to project unity. The national mourning period declared by King Haakon will remain in effect until October 9, marking exactly one month after the burial of King Harald V.
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