Prince William Takes on Major Royal Duty in King Charles' Place

Prince William will take on a major royal duty in place of King Charles as a Crown representative, continuing a long-standing royal tradition. The news will obviously come as a surprise to many royal family readers and followers. Prince William will attend King Harald's funeral as King Charles' representative in Norway King Harald V died at the age of 89 on August 28, 2026, and officials scheduled his funeral for Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Prince William will attend the funeral in Norway, while King Charles will not attend. According to British royal protocol, a King does not attend the funerals of foreign heads of state. For this reason, the King paid tribute on social media ahead of the funeral, following the news. Charles wrote on Instagram, 'For thirty-five years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.' While King Charles will not attend the funeral at Oslo Cathedral, Prince William and several heads of state will be in attendance. According to People's coverage, those expected to attend include King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Queen Sofía of Spain; King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Amalia and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands; King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine and Princess Christina of Sweden; King Frederik, Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian and Princess Benedikte of Denmark; King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium; King Abdullah of Jordan; Prince Albert of Monaco; Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) and Crown Princess Akishino (Kiko) of Japan; and more. King Harald's death occurred early in the morning on August 28, 2026, at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet. He had reportedly spent nearly two weeks in the hospital while battling a rare blood condition. For Prince William, attending the funeral comes during an especially busy week, as his son and heir, Prince George, is set to begin his first year at Eton College. The change marks a major transition for the Wales family, as their 13-year-old son will leave home for the first time.