Royal families from around the world gathered in Oslo, Norway on Wednesday, September 9 for King Harald V’s funeral, and just two days later, his 94-year-old sister, Princess Astrid—who attended the moving services for her younger brother—has died.

"His Majesty the King has received with great sadness the news that Princess Astrid has passed away," a statement from the royal court read, with the new King Haakon calling her death a "great loss" for his family.

The princess, who was in a wheelchair at the funeral Wednesday, left a touching note for King Harald on a wreath laid in Oslo Cathedral. It read: "Thank you for everything we've had together. Your Astrid."

She featured in one of the most moving photos the palace released after the king's death, with the image showing Princess Astrid looking out a palace window as a sea of mourners gathered outside to leave tributes to her 89-year-old brother.

“At the age of 22, she had to step into the role of first lady when my grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha, passed away,” King Haakon said, per NRK.

“In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society,” he shared, noting that his aunt “was very loyal and always performed her tasks with commitment, presence and an infectious spirit.”

"We learned a lot from her, and she was not afraid to speak up," King Haakon added.

Princess Astrid was married to Olympic sailor Johan Martin Ferner, who died in 2015, and they shared five children together. The palace has not released funeral details for the late royal at this time.

Royal women from around the world wore traditional pearl jewelry to honor King Harald of Norway at his funeral on Wednesday, September 9, including Princess Anne, who joined Prince William for the services at Oslo Cathedral.

While the Prince of Wales attended as an official representative of his father, King Charles, the funeral had a more personal significance for the Princess Royal, who has served as a godmother to the new Norwegian monarch, King Haakon, since his 1973 christening. For the funeral, Princess Anne wore a classic pair of pearl drop earrings, a choice that Eddie Le Vian, CEO of Le Vian jewelers, told Marie Claire dates back to Anne’s great-great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

“Pearls have spoken the language of royal mourning for generations,” Le Vian says. “Since Queen Victoria mourned Prince Albert, pearls have come to evoke tears, remembrance and dignity. Unlike other royal guests, Anne appeared to skip a pearl necklace in favor of a silk scarf, and instead wore a diamond-studded gold brooch with decades of significance.

Jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia, Founder of Abelini, tells Marie Claire that the Princess Royal’s gold ribbon brooch was “a very deliberate” decision for the occasion. “The princess has dozens of options in her collection, so reaching for a brooch she has worn consistently for over fifty years tells you this wasn't a casual choice,” Rakholia says.

The brooch itself dates back to the mid-20th century and takes the form of a loosely knotted bow, set with around a dozen diamonds. An 18-year-old Princess Anne first wore the piece in 1969 at a Buckingham Palace meeting with Apollo 8 commander Colonel Frank Borman—and the pin has been in regular rotation for close to 60 years.

“To still be reaching for the same piece nearly six decades later says an enormous amount about what it means to her personally, far more than any high-value piece could,” Rakholia says. The Princess Royal has worn the brooch for events such as her 70th birthday portrait and at Ascot, but also for numerous solemn engagements, like Anzac Day services honoring fallen soldiers and an event marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.

"That's the pattern that stands out to me,” Rakholia shares. “This isn't a brooch she reaches for on lighter occasions. Time and again, it appears at moments of remembrance and loss specifically, whether that's a wreath-laying for fallen soldiers in the spring or, now, the funeral of a head of state she has a personal connection to.”

Nilesh notes that the brooch's diamond setting adds sparkle without being inappropriate at solemn occasions. "Diamonds against a dark coat, which is what she's worn it with here, create a soft contrast rather than anything flashy. It's the kind of piece that reads as respectful rather than decorative, which matters enormously at a funeral."

It's been a week of milestones for Prince William, who dropped Prince George off at Eton College for his first day of boarding school on September 8 before stepping into a more somber role. The Prince of Wales represented his father at another royal's funeral for the first time on September 9, flying to Norway to attend the services for King Harald V.

Fresh off saying goodbye to his eldest child at Eton, William stepped in for The King—who traditionally does not attend funerals of other royals or world leaders—alongside numerous royal families from around the world. He was joined by Princess Anne, who attended in a personal capacity as godmother of Norway's new monarch, King Haakon.

In 2025, the Prince of Wales attended Pope Francis's funeral on behalf of King Charles, and although he filled in for Queen Elizabeth by flying to the United Arab Emirates in 2022 to pay his respects after the death of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, this is the first time Prince William has attended a royal funeral as a representative of The King.

King Harald died at the age of 89 on August 28, leaving his son Haakon to take the throne alongside his ailing wife, Queen Mette-Marit.

The Norwegian queen, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis and recently went through a lung transplant, recently missed her husband's swearing-in ceremony before parliament, but was able to attend Wednesday's funeral.

Along with Prince William and Princess Anne, other royal representatives at the funeral included everyone from Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands to Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko. King Carl Gustaf of Sweden and King Frederik of Denmark took a prominent role in the ceremony, saluting King Harald's coffin from behind King Haakon during the funeral.

King Harald V of Norway died on August 28 at the age of 89. His state funeral is set to be attended by a plethora of world leaders and royals from across Europe, including Prince William and Princess Anne. However, there's one royal who sadly won't be in attendance at the somber event due to a recurring health issue.

Unfortunately, Denmark's Queen Margrethe II—who formally abdicated in 2024—has been admitted to Copenhagen University Hospital for treatment following the discovery of a blood clot.

The Danish royal household released a statement saying (via Hello! magazine), "Her Majesty Queen Margrethe was admitted to Rigshospitalet on Sunday after feeling unwell."

Per the statement, "A new blood clot was detected in her hip area, as well as mild dehydration."

The Danish royals also shared, "Queen Margrethe is in good spirits and is progressing well under the circumstances. The royal house will provide further information as soon as there are any updates."

The Danish royal household also confirmed that, "regrettably," Queen Margrethe won't be able to attend King Harald's state funeral.

According to the Daily Mail, Margrethe "underwent an angioplasty, a medical procedure that opens up closed or narrowed blood vessels, after suffering chest pains," earlier this year.

Just weeks after the operation, the queen was readmitted to hospital after it was discovered that she had a "significant accumulation of blood in the hip area following a fall."

Although King Charles and Queen Camilla won't be in attendance at King Harald's funeral, Prince William and Princess Anne will pay tribute to the Norwegian royal at the event in Oslo on September 9.

On Friday, August 28, the Norwegian royal court announced the death of King Harald V of Norway at the age of 89. Having been on the throne since 1991, the Norwegian king had become known as the oldest living European monarch following Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022. Harald's son, Crown Prince Haakon, will take over and be known as King Haakon.

Harald's state funeral will take place on Wednesday, September 9, with important Royal Family members and dignitaries from across Europe expected to pay tribute at the event. It has now been confirmed that King Charles won't be in attendance at King Harald's funeral. Instead, two royal relatives will take his place and travel to Norway to pay their respects.

Prince William will represent his father at Harald's funeral, Hello! magazine has confirmed. The Prince of Wales will attend the event alongside his aunt, Princess Anne, who "is due to appear in a personal capacity as the godmother of King Haakon," the outlet reported.

The King's decision not to attend King Harald's funeral isn't unusual. For instance, his mother, Queen Elizabeth, regularly sent family members in her place to attend the funerals of world leaders, foreign royals, popes, and politicians.

King Charles counted King Harald as a second cousin once removed—Harald was Queen Elizabeth II's second cousin.

Paying tribute following Harald's death, The King wrote in an Instagram post, "It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway."

He continued, "For 35 years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility."

King Harald of Norway died at the age of 89 on August 28, and royals from across Europe are scheduled to attend his funeral on Wednesday, September 9. While everyone from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary are planning to travel to Norway next week, King Charles will likely not be amongst the guests.

Historically, British monarchs rarely attend funerals outside of close family members and friends, and Queen Elizabeth would send another member of her family as a representative when foreign royals, popes or other world leaders died. She broke tradition by attending the funerals of just two of the prime ministers who served during her lifetime: Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

The Royal Family has not confirmed who will be attending next week's service, and although King Harald was a second cousin once removed of King Charles, the British monarch is likely to continue his mother's funeral-going tradition.

Prince William has stepped in for his father at occasions like Pope Francis's funeral in April 2025, but there's another British royal with a closer connection to King Harald's family.

Princess Anne is actually the godmother of Norway's new monarch, King Haakon, making her a likely representative for The King. Two of Haakon's other godparents, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe of Denmark are scheduled to attend King Harald's funeral next week.

Per Tatler, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan are also confirmed to be at the service at Oslo Cathedral, along with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband, Chris O’Neil.

Although he might not attend King Harald's funeral, King Charles posted a moving tribute to the Norwegian royal on social media.

“It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway,” The King wrote in an Instagram post. “For thirty-five years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.”

“As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades,” he added.

Queen Mette-Marit of Norway was driven to an Oslo hospital by her husband, King Haakon, after she was forced to miss his swearing-in ceremony on September 1.

The new Norwegian queen, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, skipped the event due to "complications" from her recent lung transplant, per the royal court. According to Hello! magazine's sister publication Hola!, King Haakon was photographed driving his wife to the National Hospital just hours after he took an oath before parliament.

"At approximately 6:20 p.m., Haakon VIII was seen leaving the National Hospital without Mette-Marit, remaining inside until 9:30 p.m., at which time the King returned to the medical center to pick up the Queen," the publication reported (translated from Spanish).

Earlier in the day, the palace released a statement by one of Queen Mette-Marit's doctors. "It is not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant. The Queen has had complications on some occasions since the operation, including today," pulmonologist Are Holm, Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the National Hospital, said.

"As a result, the Queen must be observed throughout the day," the doctor continued. "The Queen will therefore unfortunately not be able to attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Storting today."

King Harald V died at the age of 89 on August 28, making his only son, Crown Prince Haakon, the new king.

Haakon and Mette-Marit's daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is next in line to the throne, and she attended her father's swearing-in on Queen Mette-Marit's behalf.

Queen Mette-Marit was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, and the condition causes scarring in the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe.

She received a lung transplant in June 2026 and was released from the hospital in July, with Queen Sonja telling reporters at the time,  “It's simply fantastic. It's fantastic that it went so well.”

King Haakon of Norway was officially sworn in as the country’s new monarch on Tuesday, September 1, but there was one important member of the royal family who wasn’t in attendance at the milestone event. Haakon’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, had to skip the ceremony after suffering from unknown complications due to her recent lung transplant.

King Harald V died at the age of 89 on August 28, making his son Norway’s new king. Queen Mette-Marit was due to support her husband as he took an oath before parliament as the new king, but on Tuesday, the Norwegian royal court released a statement explaining her absence.

"It is not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant. The Queen has had complications on some occasions since the operation, including today," pulmonologist Are Holm, Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the National Hospital, said. "As a result, the Queen must be observed throughout the day. The Queen will therefore unfortunately not be able to attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Storting today."

King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit’s 22-year-old daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, stood in for her mother at the ceremony, sitting next to her father’s gilded chair.

Queen Mette-Marit, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, received her lung transplant in June. She was not scheduled to take on any formal duties for the rest of 2026 as she continues to recover from the surgery. However, King Harald’s death pushed the new queen into the spotlight. She held Queen Sonja’s hand on August 31 as they processed with King Harald’s coffin through the palace, and Mette-Marit also joined the crowds gathered outside, viewing the flowers, drawings and other tributes to the late king.

“I know that our new queen really wanted to come,” Parliament Speaker Masud Gharahkhani said, per NRK. But she is in a rehabilitation phase and it is a family in mourning. Everything that happened yesterday, with following the bier to the Palace Chapel, is tough.”

King Harald's funeral is scheduled for September 9, but at the current time, it's unclear whether Queen Mette-Marit will be well enough to attend.

The new King Haakon VIII of Norway has a tough act to follow after his father, King Harald V, died at the age of 89 on Friday, August 28. Known as the grandfather of Norway, the king was widely beloved by the public. But Haakon and his wife, Queen Mette-Marit, are facing an uncertain future as they attempt to increase their popularity—and Mette-Marit has found herself embroiled in numerous scandals over the years.

Born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, the now-queen’s father was a convicted felon, and she went on to date John Ognby—a convicted criminal himself—before welcoming a son, Marius Borg-Høiby, in 1997 with one of Ognby’s friends (also a felon).

She worked as a waitress to support herself and her young son and later met Crown Prince Haakon at a music festival in the summer of 1999. Their romance moved quickly and an engagement was announced in December 2000, to the shock of the Norwegian public.

In a pre-wedding interview, Mette-Marit admitted to having a wild past on the rave scene involving drugs and partying, but said those days were over. Still, it took time for the public to warm to her. A 2001 article in the Independent slammed Mette-Marit after their wedding, writing, "the general view that she is totally unsuited to her designated role as Queen of Norway."

Over the years, the now-Queen Mette-Marit dedicated herself to charity work and welcomed two children with her husband, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. But in 2024, her eldest son, Høiby, was arrested on numerous occasions, and in 2026, he was charged on two counts of rape.

Høiby, who is waiting on an appeal trial, was sentenced to four years in prison and is currently on house arrest. The high-profile trial put a negative spotlight on Mette-Marit and her family, especially after allegations swirled that she may have attempted to withhold information or shield her son during investigations.

The new queen also made headlines in early 2026 when emails she sent to her then-friend, Jeffrey Epstein, were released in the Epstein files. The messages sent shockwaves through the Norwegian public, including one that read, "Googled you after the previous email. Agreed, it didn't look good :)."

In March 2026, Mette-Marit gave a tearful interview during which she apologized for her actions. She noted it was “incredibly important” to her “to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully.”

Explaining that she didn’t recall what the Google-related email was about, she added, “But if I had found information that made me realize that he was an abuser and sex offender, I wouldn't have written a smiley face behind it.”

In addition to her public controversies, Queen Mette-Marit has also suffered from health setbacks over the past decade. In 2018, the royal court announced she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic condition that causes scarring in the lungs and difficulty breathing. By the spring of 2026 she was using an oxygen tank, and the new queen received a lung transplant in June.

Now that she’s become queen, Mette-Marit must rehabilitate her public image. According to Reuters, a recent TV2 poll in Norway found that 47.6 percent of Norwegians thought she should not become queen, and the royal family’s overall popularity dipped from 70 percent to 60 percent in February 2026.

Norway has a new king, Haakon VIII, after his father, King Harald V, died at the age of 89 on Friday, August 28. The late king, who sat on the throne since 1991, ruled alongside his wife, Queen Sonja, and the couple shared two children, Princess Märtha Louise and the now-King Haakon. But although Märtha Louise was their first child, it was her brother who was destined to wear the crown.

When the princess was born in 1971, she had no place in the line of succession, as the Norwegian constitution still stated that only male children could inherit the throne. When Haakon was born in 1973, he became his father’s heir.

In 1990—a year before Haakon’s grandfather, King Olav, died—the Norwegian constitution was changed to allow females to rule, even if a younger brother was born down the line. The new law gave Märtha Louise a place in the line of succession for the first time, but unlike Sweden—which made the same change and applied it retroactively—Norway did not, making Haakon the country’s future king.

However, King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit's first child, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, was born after 1990, meaning she will inherit the throne one day.

It seems Princess Märtha Louise has always been destined to walk her own path. King Harald’s eldest child is a controversial figure in Norway and has been widely criticized for her clairvoyant activities, along with her 2024 marriage to Hollywood shaman Durek Verrett.

Like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the two starred in a Netflix documentary about their unconventional royal romance titled Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story.

In 2019, the Norwegian royal court stated that Märtha Louise was no longer allowed to use her princess title in her business endeavors and in 2022, she stepped down from royal duties to focus on her commercial activities. However, she attends major family events, and will likely be on hand to support her brother during his transition as king.

Although Norway does not hold coronations, Haakon could choose to take part in a ceremony like his father did in 1991. The consecration at Trondheim's Nidaros Cathedral is a formal church blessing of the new monarch, but Haakon would not have a crown placed on his head like King Charles.