Prince William to represent Charles at funeral of King Harald of Norway

Prince William will represent his father King Charles at the funeral of King Harald V of Norway, Buckingham Palace announced.

The Prince of Wales will be joined by his aunt, the Princess Royal, who is attending next week in a private and personal capacity as godmother of the new king, Haakon VIII.

It follows the death of the much-loved monarch, who died on 28 August at the age of 89.

The funeral will take place on Wednesday at Oslo Cathedral, with mourners including his widow Queen Sonja.

In keeping with the precedent that the sovereign does not attend funerals of other heads of state, the duty falls to William.

Last April, William represented his father at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican.

Charles paid a tribute to his "dear cousin" and "much-loved kinsman and friend" after the news of Harald's death was announced.

He praised Harald's "unwavering dedication" and his "kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades".

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The late Queen Elizabeth II and King Harald were second cousins and shared the same great-grandparents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Harald, who was known for his humour and informal style, has been hailed as an inclusive "people's king" who modernised the Norwegian monarchy during his 35-year reign.

William and the now-Princess of Wales carried out an official tour to Norway in 2018, dining with King Harald and Queen Sonja at the Royal Palace, where Harald described them as "family" and praised their support of the late Queen.

The Norwegian sovereign entered the banquet arm-in-arm with pregnant Kate, who was expecting Prince Louis at the time and wearing an Alexander McQueen gown. The king's wife and William walked behind them.

William and Kate also visited the ski slopes with the then-Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, now the new King and Queen.

(c) Sky News 2026: Prince William to represent Charles at funeral of King Harald of Norway