The funeral of King Harald of Norway came to a close with a touching tribute to his beloved mother, Crown Princess Martha.
As the solemn ceremony at Oslo Cathedral drew to an end, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi was read, in Swedish. Harald’s mother was born a Princess of Sweden.
It was a poignant nod to his mother who he lost when he was just 17 years old. Crown Princess Martha died of cancer in 1954.
Harald was close to his mother and during World War Two, they lived in exile in the US with his two sisters, Princess Raghnhild and Princess Astrid, after Norway was occupied by the Nazis. Harald’s father, King Olav, lived in London where he worked to help free Norway after being forced to flee with his father, King Haakon VII, when both were in danger from the Nazis.
Princess Astrid, now 94, watched on as her younger brother was laid to rest.
Harald’s widow, Queen Sonja, was moved to tears during a eulogy from the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Store. During the service, the 89 year old took a single red rose and walked slowly to her husband’s coffin where she laid the flower in a moving tribute.
King Harald and Queen Sonja’s son, King Haakon VIII, had led mourners on the procession from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral as they walked behind the coffin. With him were his two children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, and his sister, Princess Martha Louise.
Royalty from around Europe, including the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne, walked behind Norway’s royals on the route to the church.
The funeral service also included a hymn written specially for King Harald and Queen Sonja when they turned 70 and a version of Abide with Me, sung in English.
Following the funeral service, King Harald was laid to rest in a private service at Akerhus. King Haakon was accompanied by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and King Frederik X of Denmark as he walked behind King Harald’s coffin.
Later in the afternoon, King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit appeared on the palace balcony with Queen Sonja where they were given huge cheers by the crowd as were Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
