On Wednesday, Norway says goodbye to King Harald V, who passed away on August 28 at the age of 89. The farewell ceremony is taking place at Oslo Cathedral. Heads of state, governments, and representatives of royal families from around the world have arrived for the state funeral. Among the participants in the ceremony are Prince William of the United Kingdom and Princess Anne, Crown Prince Fumihito of Japan and Princess Kiko, King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia, as well as representatives of the royal houses of Denmark and Sweden. World leaders are also present at the ceremony, including President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs. The funeral ceremony is led by the new King of Norway, Haakon VIII. Alongside him in the cathedral are Queen Sonja and Queen Mette-Marit, as well as other members of the royal family. Harald V ascended to the throne in 1991. In recent years, he faced several health issues and had to reduce the number of official engagements. Despite this, the monarch repeatedly stated that he did not intend to abdicate the throne, as he had sworn a lifelong oath to the Parliament of Norway. In the marriage of Harald V and Queen Sonja, which lasted nearly 58 years, two children were born — the current King Haakon VIII and Princess Märtha Louise. The royal couple has six grandchildren. On September 1, Haakon VIII took an oath in the Parliament of Norway, promising to uphold the Constitution of the country, according to which the monarch performs predominantly symbolic functions.
