PRINCE WILLIAM ATTENDS KING HARALD V OF NORWAY'S FUNERAL IN OSLO
The Prince of Wales represented King Charles III at the funeral of King Harald V of Norway in Oslo on Tuesday. Prince William walked in procession behind the gun carriage carrying the late monarch's coffin from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral, alongside the Princess Royal and numerous foreign royalty and international political leaders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the ceremony. Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Oslo to pay respects to King Harald V, who died on 28 August aged 89 following a 35-year reign.
King Haakon VIII, Norway's new monarch, led the royal family directly behind the coffin during the procession. Queen Sonja, the widowed former queen, and Queen Mette-Marit, the new queen, followed by car. King Charles III, a second cousin once removed of the late Norwegian king, sent a message of condolence praising King Harald V as a dedicated kinsman. The British sovereign adhered to royal protocol, which traditionally prevents British monarchs from attending foreign heads of state funerals.
According to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Zelensky's aircraft narrowly avoided being struck by a drone minutes after leaving the runway on Tuesday. Stoere disclosed the incident to public broadcaster NRK. The circumstances surrounding the drone incident remain unclear from available reports.