These royals have confirmed they will attend King Harald's funeral
Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB
Royal houses from Europe and Japan have confirmed their attendance at the funeral in Oslo Cathedral on 9 September. Sweden is sending ten people, the Netherlands four, and Denmark, Belgium and Japan are all sending royal or crown princely couples.
Royal houses from across Europe and from Japan have confirmed their attendance at King Harald's funeral in Oslo Cathedral at 1pm on Wednesday 9 September. Sweden is sending ten people.
King Harald and Queen Sonja received King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima during the state visit in 2021. The Dutch royal couple will now attend the funeral. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB
• Sweden sends the largest delegation
The Swedish court announced on Wednesday who will attend: the King, the Queen, the Crown Princess, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine, Christopher O'Neill, Princess Christina and her husband, Consul General Tord Magnuson.
On the day of the funeral the Swedish court observes court mourning of the first degree, and flags will fly at half-mast at all Swedish royal palaces and buildings.
Back row from the left: Chris O’Neill, Princess Madeleine, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia and Prince Daniel. Front row: Queen Silvia, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer / TT / NTB
• The Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Japan
The Dutch royal house states that King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Beatrix and the Princess of Orange, Catharina-Amalia, will attend.
Denmark is represented by King Frederik and Queen Mary. The couple postponed their state visit to Belgium, which was to have taken place from 8 to 10 September, in order to attend. Any other Danish royals will be announced later.
King Frederik and Queen Mary postponed their state visit to Belgium in order to attend the funeral. Photo: Sebastian Elias Uth / AFP / NTB
From Belgium come King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. The Belgian royal couple were on a state visit to Norway as recently as March this year, when they were received by King Harald.
King Philippe and King Harald in March this year. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB
Japan will be represented by Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko.
• Heads of state and limited seating
Among the heads of state who have confirmed are Germany's Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Iceland's President Halla Tómasdóttir, and the presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that all countries with diplomatic representation in Oslo have been invited, along with member states of NATO, the EEA and the EU that are not represented in Norway. Each country decides for itself who will attend.
"There is a limited number of seats in Oslo Cathedral," says the ministry's press contact, Thea Finstad.
The list is not final, and more names are expected in the coming days.