Norway bids farewell to King Harald V, 'grandfather' of the nation
OSLO: Norway bids farewell on Wednesday to King Harald V, a modern and unifying figure whose end of reign was tarnished by scandals, in a funeral attended by European royals and foreign dignitaries.
On Wednesday, Norway bid farewell to King Harald V, a modern and unifying monarch whose reign was marred by scandals. The funeral, attended by European royals and foreign dignitaries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Britain's Prince William, Spain's royal couple, and foreign leaders, was held in Oslo. The procession to the Lutheran cathedral was led by Harald's widow Queen Sonja and new Queen Mette-Marit, who had undergone a lung transplant in June.
Additional guests included Japan's Crown Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko, and the Belgian and Dutch royal couples.
The ceremony began with a minute of silence, followed by Harald's casket being carried on an artillery carriage through the city's main avenue. Harald, who ascended the throne in 1991, was the oldest reigning monarch in Europe. Despite health issues in his later years, he remained extremely popular among Norwegians, with nearly 72 percent supporting the monarchy, up from 60 percent in a previous survey.
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- Norway bids farewell to King Harald V, ‘grandfather’ of the nation freemalaysiatoday.com
- Norway bids farewell to King Harald V, 'grandfather' of the nation euronews.com
