Memorial service on Wednesday: Why King Charles will not attend Harald V’s funeral

King Charles III will not travel to Oslo for the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V on Wednesday. Instead, the British royal family will send Crown Prince William, accompanied by Charles’s sister, Princess Anne.

The 44-year-old William will attend on the king’s behalf, according to the palace. Anne is also travelling for personal reasons and is the godmother of Norway’s new monarch, Haakon VIII.

Charles’s absence may initially seem surprising, but it follows established practice in the British monarchy. In recent years, another senior member of the royal family has repeatedly represented the sovereign at funerals and other major ceremonies. William also attended the funeral of Pope Francis in April 2025 instead of Charles.

The tradition is not absolute. Charles attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, although he was then Prince of Wales and represented his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth herself attended the funeral of Belgium’s King Baudouin in 1993.

On the day Harald died, August 28, Charles published a personal message of condolence. The king wrote that his family was mourning “a much-loved relative and friend, whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty resonated across the sea and across the decades.”

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A much-loved relative and friend, whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty resonated across the sea and across the decades.