Thousands at funeral of Norway's king, also the new queen's convicted son attended

Thousands attended the funeral of Norway's King Harald V in Oslo. The procession left the palace for the cathedral accompanied by 21-gun salutes. Among the guests: Prince William, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and royalty from Europe and Jordan. Queen Mette-Marit, recovering from a lung transplant, arrived by car. Her son Marius Borg Høiby, convicted of rape and under house arrest, carried the coffin and sparked criticism.

Thousands attended the funeral of Norway's King Harald V today, who died at the end of August at age 89. The half-hour procession left the Royal Palace for Oslo Cathedral, accompanied by 21-gun salutes from cannons at Akershus Fortress. The new King Haakon VIII and other dignitaries walked behind the coffin. Among the many guests: Prince William and Princess Anne of Britain, the Japanese Crown Prince, the royal families of Spain, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Jordan, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Queen Mette-Marit, wife of the new king, arrived at the ceremony by car due to her recovery from a lung transplant she underwent in June. Her son, Marius Borg Høiby, convicted of rape and domestic violence and under house arrest with an electronic tag, was among the coffin bearers – a decision that sparked criticism in Norway and abroad. The police declared the largest planned operation in their history, with about 3,000 police officers and about 3,500 soldiers. Harald, who was Europe's oldest king and reigned for 35 years, was seen as the "grandfather of the nation" and was appreciated for his liberalism. A poll conducted at the beginning of the month found that 72% of Norwegians support the monarchy, an increase of 8% compared to May.