When King Harald V was laid to rest in Oslo on Wednesday, the British royal family was represented—but not by the monarch himself. Prince William traveled to Norway in his father’s place, accompanied by Princess Anne. King Charles III’s absence was notable because, shortly after Harald’s death, he had referred to him as “Dear Cousin” and paid tribute to their close relationship. Nevertheless, based on the available information, there is strong evidence to suggest that the decision was driven not by an acute incident but primarily by royal protocol.

British Protocol Calls for Representatives to Attend State Funerals

According to Buckingham Palace, William took his father’s place at the memorial service. As reported by n-tv.de, it is customary for reigning British monarchs not to attend the funerals of other heads of state. Instead, a high-ranking member of the royal family is usually sent in their place.

This pattern has occurred several times before. William also traveled on behalf of his father to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in April 2025. In 2005, Charles himself attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II, at the time still serving as Prince of Wales and representing his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles Had Personally Paid Tribute to Harald Shortly Before

The fact that Charles did not travel to Oslo himself is all the more notable because the two royal families had close ties. Harald V died at the end of August at the age of 89, and his son succeeded him as King Haakon VIII. Charles issued a personal message of condolence on the day of Harald’s death.

In his message, Charles described Harald as a dearly loved relative and friend whose kindness, compassion, and sense of duty had resonated for decades. Harald and Charles were second cousins and both descended from King Edward VII.

Health Was Mentioned, but Not Officially Cited as a Reason

The palace made it clear that Charles’ absence was not due to a sudden deterioration in his health. The 77-year-old is undergoing treatment for cancer but continues to maintain a full schedule. According to Bild, however, a palace staff member offered a personal opinion: “Personally, I believe the king still needs to take it easy for health reasons.”

This has not been officially confirmed. Therefore, the most plausible explanation, based on the available information, is the established protocol under which a representative attends rather than the reigning monarch himself.

Princess Anne Traveled as Haakon VIII’s Godmother

In addition to William, Princess Anne also had a special connection to the Norwegian royal family during the trip to Oslo. The palace announced that she attended in a private and personal capacity because she is the godmother of the new Norwegian King Haakon VIII. This gave the British delegation an additional personal connection to the Norwegian royal family.

Numerous members of European and Japanese royal families also attended the funeral, including representatives from Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, and Monaco, as well as Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan.