Prince William and Princess Anne put royal duties aside for a deeply personal occasion in Norway on Wednesday. William, the Prince of Wales, and Anne, the Princess Royal, joined other members of Europe’s royal families in Oslo to say goodbye to King Harald V, whose death at 89 brought together royals and world leaders for an emotional farewell.
Prince William and Princess Anne attended King Harald V’s funeral in Norway
The siblings arrived at Oslo Cathedral after joining the procession carrying King Harald’s coffin from the Royal Palace. As reported by PEOPLE, William attended on behalf of King Charles, while Anne was there as the godmother of Norway’s new King Haakon.
William’s presence follows a tradition in which the British monarch generally does not attend other heads of state’s funerals. Anne’s connection to Norway’s royal family gave her a separate reason to attend. Presiding Bishop Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit led the service. Norway’s Storting President Masud Gharahkhani and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also delivered remarks.
King Harald died at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet on Friday, Aug. 28, after nearly two weeks of treatment for a rare blood condition.
King Charles later paid tribute to his cousin on social media, remembering Harald’s decades of service.
“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,” King Charles wrote. “For thirty-five years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.”
William’s trip came a day after he accompanied his eldest son, Prince George, for the 13-year-old’s first day at Eton College. William walked with George and Kate Middleton across the school grounds before they greeted the school’s headmaster and provost.
William attended Eton from 1995 to 2000, finding refuge there after his mother, Princess Diana, died in 1997.
“Eton was a much-needed haven for William,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE.
This story originally appeared on Realitytea
