Princess Astrid appears in the funeral coverage as Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, led King Harald V’s coffin with King Haakon from the Palace Chapel to Oslo Cathedral for the state funeral. The procession placed the heir apparent at the front of the public farewell, with the family gathered at Oslo Cathedral for the service.
The funeral followed last week’s bier ceremony, when all five of Harald’s grandchildren and Marius Borg Høiby took part. That same family group is now visible in the formal ceremony, giving the public a clear view of who stands nearest the throne and who stood with the late king at the end of his reign.
Oslo Cathedral funeral procession
Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the eldest child of King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit and now holds the position of Crown Princess of Norway and first in line to the throne. Prince Sverre Magnus, 20, is the younger child of the same parents and is second in line.
The public role assigned to Ingrid Alexandra was practical as well as ceremonial. She helped lead the coffin into Oslo Cathedral, a visible sign of continuity at the moment the royal family marked Harald’s death.
King Harald V grandchildren
The grandchildren present at the funeral included Maud, 23, Leah, 21, and Emma, 17, the daughters of Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn, along with Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Ingrid Alexandra. Marius Borg Høiby also took part in the bier ceremony and belonged to the group of family members shown in the mourning ceremonies.
Queen Sonja stood at the center of the family group as the grandmother of the grandchildren present. The Royal Palace had previously shared a photograph of Harald with his four granddaughters, taken on his 88th birthday in February 2025.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra at Oslo Cathedral
The clearest line through the funeral is simple: the next generation was placed in public view. Ingrid Alexandra’s temporary studies at the University of Oslo, while her mother recovers from a lung transplant, sit beside her full-time enrolment at the University of Sydney in Australia and her new role as Crown Princess of Norway.
That combination makes the funeral more than a family ceremony. It showed the royal line of succession in public, with the heir apparent and her younger brother both present as Norway marked the death of King Harald V.
