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

King Harald V of Norway passed away on Wednesday, following a reign that spanned over three decades. The 89-year-old monarch's death marked the end of 13 days of national mourning. Harald succeeded his popular father, who had ruled the country for more than three decades before his own ascension to the throne.

The funeral procession began with a foot march from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral at noon local time (8 a.m. GMT). The route was flanked by tens of thousands of onlookers who fell silent as the coffin passed. Following the procession, a church ceremony commenced at 1 p.m. local time (11 a.m. GMT), commencing with a nationwide minute of silence.

Notable attendees included Britain's Prince William and Princess Anne, Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, Spain's King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia, Sweden's royal family, and Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary. Heads of state from various countries were invited to pay their respects.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Oslo on Tuesday and marched in the procession before attending the funeral. He was met with applause from the crowd when he left the cathedral. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker represented the United States at the event.

Queen Mette-Marit, the commoner wife of Harald's successor, King Haakon VIII, attended the funeral but arrived by car, as she is recovering from a lung transplant she underwent in June. Her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, who was under house arrest for rape and domestic violence, was present despite his conviction and the monitoring of his ankle. Hoiby served as one of the pall-bearers during the transfer of Harald's coffin to the royal chapel on August 31, a move that drew criticism from some quarters in Norway and abroad.

After the service, four F-35 fighter jets flew over the cathedral, with one of them breaking off to symbolically mark the king's passing. The coffin was then escorted to the royal crypt at Akershus Fortress, overlooking Oslo harbor. There, Harald's remains will be interred alongside those of his parents in a sarcophagus. Upon Haakon's emergence from the crypt, the national mourning period will officially conclude, and flags will be raised. Church bells across Norway will toll for an hour.