Norway's King Harald V laid to rest in state funeral

On Wednesday afternoon, a 21-gun salute greeted the coffin of Norway's King Harald V as it left the royal palace for Oslo's Lutheran cathedral. Thousands of mourners lined the streets to bid farewell to the beloved monarch. Norway began a minute of silence to kick off the funeral service. The procession and burial marked the end of 13 days of national mourning following King Harald V's passing at the age of 89.

World leaders from numerous countries attended the funeral, including the UK's Prince William and Princess Anne, Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Princess Kiko, Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia, and Scandinavian counterparts from Denmark and Sweden. Other dignitaries present were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

King Harald V's son, King Haakon VIII, joined his parents Queen Sonja and Queen Mette-Marit at the service. Controversially, Mette-Marit's son from a prior relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, who recently served time for rape and domestic violence, was also expected to be at the funeral. His presence sparked outrage in Norway when he participated in an earlier phase of the official mourning period.