Buckingham Palace confirmed on Saturday that the Prince of Wales will represent King Charles at the funeral of King Harald of Norway this week, while Princess Anne will attend privately as she is godmother to King Haakon.
The two royals join a growing list of confirmed royal attendees at King Harald’s funeral on Wednesday. Here’s who to expect!
UNITED KINGDOM
Prince William will attend King Harald’s funeral on behalf of the British Royal Family. Unlike other royal families, the British monarch does not typically attend foreign royal funerals. Queen Elizabeth II only attended one such funeral during her reign: that of King Baudouin of the Belgians in 1991.
Princess Anne is godmother to King Haakon, and will attend his father’s funeral in a private capacity in this role.
DENMARK
King Frederik and Queen Mary were among the first to publicly offer condolences when King Harald passed away on 28 August; they were also among the first to officially confirm their attendance at his funeral.
A previously-scheduled state visit to Belgium this week has been postponed to allow the Danish and Belgian royal couples to attend the funeral.
King Frederik, Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian, Queen Margrethe and Princess Benedikte will attend King Harald’s funeral.
SWEDEN
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia were also quick to send their condolences to Norway. Crown Princess Victoria also penned a personal tribute to her late godfather, King Harald, the day after his death.
Given the closeness of the Swedish and Norwegian royal families, it’s no shock to learn that almost all members will attend King Harald’s funeral. The Swedish Royal Court announced that King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill, and Princess Christina will all attend.
THE NETHERLANDS
The Dutch Royal Court announced that King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Catharina-Amalia and Princess Beatrix will attend King Harald’s funeral.
In their tribute to the late Norwegian king, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and Princess Beatrix wrote: “King Harald served his country with love, pride and dedication. The times we spent together exploring Oslo and further north were truly unforgettable. We are thankful, too, for how he embraced the Netherlands and the Dutch people.”
BELGIUM
With the Danish state visit officially cancelled, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde swiftly announced that they will attend King Harald’s funeral.
The Belgian royal couple wrote, “Our family ties gave our relationship a dimension that went far beyond the scope of our official duties. We will cherish the memory of the moments we shared with him.”
SPAIN
The Spanish Royal Court announced that King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and Queen Sofía will attend King Harald’s funeral.
On their social media, King Felipe and Queen Letizia wrote that King Harald was “an example of responsibility, dignity, simplicity, and tireless dedication to the service of Norway and its people, before and during his 35 years of reign.”
LUXEMBOURG
From the Grand Ducal Family, Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie, accompanied by Grand Duke Henri, will attend the funeral of King Harald.
In a statement shared to their official website, Grand Duke Guillaume wrote: “Until his last day, he remained true to his motto: ‘All for Norway.’ In these delicate times for international relations, he still wished to put his extensive experience in multilateral relations at the service of peace and the international community…”
MONACO
Prince Albert will attend King Harald’s funeral, and in a letter shared on the Princely Family’s social media, wrote: “[King Harald] leaves behind a remarkable legacy, marked by His humanity, His commitment and His sense of duty, as well as the respect and affection of all those who had the privilege of knowing Him.”
LIECHTENSTEIN
The Liechtenstein Princely Family will be represented at King Harald’s funeral by Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie.
JAPAN
From Japan, Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko will represent the Imperial Family.
