On a day filled with sadness, there was a heartwarming moment during “God Save The King.”
At the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, the British national anthem was sung; all those in the congregation stood up out of respect, including the foreign royals. While most of the foreign royals in attendance stood in respectful silence, one monarch sang the words to “God Save The King” to welcome the new monarch in Europe.
King Harald V of Norway was seen singing the anthem at the funeral in Westminster Abbey and the committal service at St George’s Chapel.
The Norweigan King is following in the footsteps of his father, King Olav, who was seen singing “God Save The Queen” at the 1984 Festival of Remembrance.
The Norwegian and British royals have long shared a close relationship. They are not only friends but also family.
The Norwegian Royal Family are closely related to the British Royal Family. King Harald’s grandmother, Queen Maud, was the daughter of King Edward VII – making Harald and the late Queen Elizabeth second cousins. The Norwegian royals are also in the first 100 of the British line of succession.
They have also provided great support to one another during times of need. During World War II, King Haakon VII and then Crown Prince Olav led the Norwegian resistance to the Nazis from the United Kingdom. King George VI and his family – including a young Princess Elizabeth – welcomed the pair to Buckingham Palace. They lived in exile in London until their triumphant return to Norway after the end of the Second World War.
The late Queen called King Haakon “Uncle Charles” (he was born Prince Carl of Denmark) and later named her firstborn after her beloved uncle – the now reigning British monarch that Harald paid tribute to – King Charles III. King Haakon was also one of Charles’s godparents.
The grandson of “Uncle Charles” has now welcomed the newest monarch, and the late Norwegian monarch’s namesake and godson, with open arms. “Uncle Charles” must have been proudly smiling down alongside Queen Elizabeth II at the sight.
