Oslo falls silent for funeral of Norway's King Harald V

Norway's King Harald V has been laid to rest, marking the end of 13 days of national mourning following his death at the age of 89.

He was a reformer who spent more than three decades on the throne, after gradually emerging from the shadow of his popular and charismatic father, and died at a time of multiple crises for the Norwegian royal family.

A procession on foot from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral started at 12pm (11am Irish time), punctuated by the sound of cannons being fired from the city's Akershus Fortress.

Tens of thousands of people lined the capital's Karl Johan Avenue, police said, with crowds falling silent as the coffin passed.

The procession was followed by a church ceremony, beginning with a nationwide minute of silence.

Among the mourners were President Catherine Connolly, Britain's Prince William and Princess Anne; Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko; Spain's King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia; Sweden's royal family; and Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary.

Heads of state from around the world were invited to attend.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also marched in the procession.

He arrived in Oslo last night, meeting Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to discuss the war with Russia, officials from both sides said.

When President Zelensky left the cathedral, the crowds clapped and cheered for him.

Representing the United States was Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, the Norwegian government said.

Queen Mette-Marit, the commoner wife of Norway's new King Haakon VIII, attended the funeral.

But the 53-year-old travelled by car with King Harald's widow, Queen Sonja, who is 89.

Queen Mette-Marit is recovering from a lung transplant that she underwent in June.

Last week, she had to cancel plans to attend her husband's oath ceremony in parliament due to complications following her operation.

Her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, from a relationship before her marriage to King Haakon, was at the funeral.

He is under house arrest and wears an ankle monitor after his conviction for rape and domestic violence.

The 29-year-old is appealing the sentence.

He was one of the pall-bearers during the transfer of King Harald's coffin to the royal chapel on 31 August, drawing criticism in some quarters in Norway and abroad.

After the funeral service, four F-35 fighter jets flew over Oslo Cathedral, with one of them breaking out to symbolically mark the king's passing.

A smaller procession, walking to the rhythm of Frederic Chopin's Funeral March, accompanied the coffin to the royal crypt at Akershus Fortress, overlooking the city's harbour.

There, King Harald's coffin was placed in a sarcophagus, alongside those of his parents.

When his son, Haakon, emerged from the crypt, the national mourning period formally ended.

Flags were raised from half-mast and church bells across Norway rang for an hour.

Norwegian police said that securing the funeral had been the largest planned operation in the force's history, with large crowds gathering in central Oslo.

Hundreds of thousands of people paid tribute to King Harald by leaving flowers, candles and flags outside the Royal Palace or filing past his coffin in the royal chapel.

Many mourners praised his inclusiveness, while King Haakon described him as a wonderful father in his first address to the nation as sovereign.

Despite its recent troubles, the monarchy remains broadly popular.

Some 72% of Norwegians support it, while 20% favour a republic or another form of government, a Norstat opinion poll for broadcaster NRK published on 1 September found, the first survey taken since King Harald's death.