Prince William will represent King Charles at the funeral of King Harald

Prince William will represent King Charles at the funeral of King Harald.

The Prince of Wales will be joined by his aunt, Princess Anne, at the service for the late Norwegian king at Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday (09.09.26), following the monarch's death at the age of 89 on 28 August.

William's attendance is in keeping with the precedent that the sovereign does not attend funerals of other heads of state, while the Princess Royal will attend in a personal capacity because she is godmother of the new King Haakon.

The prince will make the trip to Norway in a day, between other planned public engagements and his eldest son, 13-year-old Prince George, starting at Eton College.

Following Harald's death, Charles sent his "deepest and most heartfelt condolences" to the Norwegian royal family following the death of his "dear cousin".

In a statement on behalf of himself and wife Queen Camilla, he said: “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.

"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."