The Prince of Wales will represent the British royal family at the funeral of King Harald V of Norway, which takes place in Oslo on Wednesday 9 September. Princess Anne, who is godmother to Norway's new monarch, King Haakon VIII, will also attend in a personal capacity. King Charles is not attending himself, in keeping with the convention that a reigning monarch does not usually go to the funeral of another head of state, so Prince William attends in his stead. Harald, who reigned for 35 years and died last month aged 89, was widely regarded as a modernising and unifying "people's king".

The funeral will include a procession and service at Oslo Cathedral, attended by Queen Sonja, King Haakon and other European royals, followed by a private burial at the Akershus Fortress mausoleum. Thousands have already queued to pay respects during Harald's lying in state, and King Haakon delivered an emotional televised tribute to his father. King Haakon takes the throne amid recent controversies, including his wife Queen Mette-Marit's past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the rape conviction of her son, Marius Borg Høiby, who is appealing his sentence.