Prince William steps in for King Charles at King Harald's funeral

Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is said to be attending the state funeral of Norway's King Harald V on Wednesday, September 9.

However, King Charles will not be making the trip. Instead, the monarch's eldest son will attend the funeral in Oslo as a representative of his father and the British Crown.

It is pertinent to mention that British sovereigns traditionally do not attend the state funerals of other heads of state. During her 70-year reign, the late Queen Elizabeth II attended just one such funeral, that of King Baudouin of Belgium in 1993.

For those unaware, King Harald passed away at Oslo University Hospital on Aug. 28 at the age of 89 after spending nearly two weeks in hospital while being treated for a rare blood condition. Following the announcement of his death, King Charles was among the first to publicly pay tribute to his cousin.

In the statement shared by palace, Charles wrote, "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."

Notably, William will not be the only British royal attending the funeral as Princess Anne will also be in Oslo, although she is attending in a private capacity. The Princess Royal is the godmother of Harald’s son, the newly appointed King Haakon VIII.