# Europe Bids Farewell to King Harald V

> Royals and global leaders gathered in Oslo to honor Norway's long-reigning, modernizing monarch.
- Title: Europe Bids Farewell to King Harald V · BBC News — Shortify
- Summary: Royals and global leaders gathered in Oslo to honor Norway's long-reigning, modernizing monarch. King Harald V was remembered as a unifying, down-to-earth…
- Keywords: norway, monarchy, oslo, king harald, europe, news, world, Bids, Farewell, King, Harald, BBC News
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd94jgy7e94o
- Published: 2026-09-09T16:30:28.896+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: norway, monarchy, oslo, king harald, europe, news, world
## Royalty gathers in Oslo
Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets of Oslo as European royalty and world leaders paid their final respects to Norway's King Harald V.
## A grand farewell procession
The funeral procession moved from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral, followed on foot by the new King Haakon and his children, after 13 days of national mourning.
## Global leaders pay respects
Thirty foreign royals joined world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, inside Oslo Cathedral.
## Emotional tributes inside cathedral
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre delivered a moving eulogy as Queen Sonja laid a red rose on her late husband's coffin.
## A legacy amid recent scandals
The late king's final months were clouded by personal challenges, including his step-grandson Marius Borg Høiby, who attended under house arrest after a rape conviction.
## Laid to rest at Akershus
King Harald was buried alongside his ancestors in Akershus Fortress following a flypast by four F-35 fighter jets in a missing man formation.
## A new era begins
Flags were raised back to full mast as King Haakon VIII, Queen Mette-Marit, and Queen Sonja appeared on the palace balcony to thank the nation.
## Key takeaway

King Harald V was remembered as a unifying, down-to-earth monarch who modernized Norway across his 35-year reign.