The royal streets of Oslo were alive with a mix of sorrow and celebration on the Wednesday after King Harald V’s death on 28 August. Thousands, in bright suits and capes, formed a spontaneous memorial along the route from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral, as nations’ monarchs and heads of state lined up to pay the final respects.
Among those who stepped up were Prince William, representing King Charles III; the Princess Royal as a personal god‑mother to Norway’s new monarch Haakon; and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. The gathering was joined by sovereigns from Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Jordan and Japan – a vast array of monarchic family trees in one place.
A minute of silence split the city, punctuated by the taxi‑horn echo of a mobile alarm that broke the hush – a brief, almost comical reminder that in a digital age nothing is truly silent.
After the funeral service, the kerking of a four‑jet aircraft squad formed a “missing‑man” tribute above the cathedral – national tribute done the classic 20th‑century style.
The family elected to climb a balcony after the burial, waving at an on‑looking audience as flags were raised from half‑masted to the peak of the royal palace. The waves symbolise collective gratitude for the support that came after the king’s passing, the day he buried amid previous scandals – a whole story for another day.
