Photos: Large Oslo crowd bids farewell to Norway’s King Harald V

What the report says

Thousands of people lined the streets of Oslo as Norway held funeral rites for King Harald V, according to Al Jazeera’s photo report. The procession began at the royal palace and moved to Oslo Cathedral, where the service took place on Wednesday and drew a long list of royals and political leaders from Europe and beyond.

Al Jazeera reported that a 21-gun salute marked the start of the journey, with senior members of the Norwegian royal family walking behind the coffin, which was covered in the Norwegian royal standard. The king died on August 28 at the age of 89. He had ruled for 35 years and was described as Europe’s oldest reigning monarch.

The article said guests included the monarchs of Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Jordan, along with Britain’s Prince William, Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and several presidents and prime ministers. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store were also seen at the event.

More broadly, the report noted that Norway’s monarchy remains largely ceremonial today, although the royal family still carries diplomatic and symbolic importance. The funeral highlighted both the public affection for Harald and the international ties of the Norwegian royal house.