The most emotional moments at Harald V's funeral - from King Frederik of Denmark's tears to Princess Anne's moving gesture to widowed Queen

Norway's Harald V was laid to rest yesterday after a memorial service that evoked profound displays of raw and unfiltered emotion from typically stoic royals. Harald was Europe's oldest reigning sovereign after Queen Elizabeth II, ruling over Norway for over 35 years until he sadly passed away on August 28 at the age of 89. His state funeral was held at Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday as an extraordinary contingent of royals from around the world gathered in the Norwegian capital to pay their respects to the 'grandfather of the nation'. Senior members of 11 royal households - including Spain, Denmark, Japan and Jordan - were among the list of VIP guests at yesterday's historic service that included a procession from the Royal Palace to the Chapel, gun salutes and speeches. In the end, however, it will be remembered for the quiet gestures of love, the fervent outpouring of grief from otherwise reserved kings and queens and a touching display of solidarity with Norway's new King Haakon VIII and Queen Sonja. While Denmark's King Frederik welled up and was visibly emotional during the poignant service for his beloved 'Uncle Harald', the Princess Royal won praise from fans after they noticed the tender moment she shared with Harald's 89-year-old widow Sonja. Norway's Harald V was laid to rest yesterday after a memorial service that evoked profound displays of raw and unfiltered emotion from typically stoic royals Norway's new Queen Mette-Marit wiping away her tears as the late Norwegian monarch was laid to rest Princess Anne attended the event in a personal capacity as King Haakon VIII's godmotherThere was not a dry eye in Oslo Cathedral - from King Frederik X of Denmark to Norway's new Queen Mette-Marit and her heartbroken mother-in-law, Sonja, who was married to Harald for almost 58 years. The Danish royal house was among the first to send their condolences after Harald passed away peacefully at Rikshospitalet on August 28. In an open letter to Haakon VIII, King Frederik and Queen Mary remembered his 'unwavering calm' and 'dry humour' while reflecting on the close bonds between their families. 'Your father meant a great deal to my mother (Queen Margrethe) and both of us,' the royal couple wrote. 'He was an extraordinary man, with a twinkle in his eye and a big heart.'For 35 years, King Harald was a strong unifying figure for the Norwegian people. He joined duty and responsibility with presence and compassion. He was cherished like few others, and he will be missed by many.' During Harald's funeral, 'you could see the pain' in Frederik's eyes as he mourned the late monarch, fans wrote on X. At one point, the 53-year-old sovereign reached for Mary's hand as they bowed their heads when Harald's coffin was brought into the Cathedral.Queen Sonja was visibly moved when Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre paid tribute to the 'love' they shared in his speech. 'Queen Sonja, working by his side, played an inextricable part in King Harald’s service to the nation – her tireless efforts to promote culture, to celebrate nature – and her desire to experience far-flung places it is hard to imagine anyone could live,' he continued. Harald's widow Queen Sonja tenderly plaed a rose on his coffin during the service Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was among the speakers at the royal state funeral Norway's Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra was poised and graceful as she joined her family in bidding farewell to her grandfather yesterday. She is seen here with her brother, Prince Sverre Magnus Norway's Queen Mette-Marit captured in a sombre moment with her daughter, Ingrid Alexandra Sverre Magnus looked emotional as he left his grandfather's funeral service Princess Ingrid Alexandra could repeatedly be seen thanking Prince William, who attended the funeral without the Princess of Wales, and Princess Anne during a brief exchange before they departed the Royal PalaceNorwegians watching the funeral reportedly began to 'openly weep' when the cameras cut to Queen Sonja crying softly during the prime minister's address. 'I am in Norway right now, and this was the moment when the Norwegians in the room I was watching the funeral started to openly weep. They loved King Harald, but they mourn and feel with (and love) Queen Sonja,' one X user reported. Norway's Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra was poised and graceful as she joined her family in bidding farewell to her grandfather yesterday. In one video posted on X, the heir to the Norwegian throne could be seen comforting her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, when he became overwhelmed by emotion. The daughter of Haakon and Mette-Marit placed a reassuring hand on Sverre Magnus's shoulder when she noticed tears in his eyes before he returned her loving gesture with a small smile. Fans praised 'the sweet princess', with one person writing: 'The Norwegian people have won my respect due to this kindness.'It wasn't just Ingrid Alexandra's compassion that impressed royal watchers when footage of Princess Anne greeting the Norwegian family after the funeral was shared online. While the Prince of Wales officially represented King Charles III at Harald's funeral, Princess Anne attended the event in a personal capacity as King Haakon VIII's godmother. The Scandinavian kings, Haakon, Frederik and Carl Gustaf XVI, honoured Harald While Denmark's Queen Mary tightly held her aunt Sonja's hand, the King's sister made time to express her support for Haakon, who ascended the throne after his father's death. Following the birth of Haakon on July 20, 1973, Princess Anne was named as one of his godparents, along with his late grandfather, Olav V, Harald's sister, Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, Sweden's Carl Gustaf XVI, Denmark's Queen Margrethe and Prince Carl Bernadotte. Reuniting with her godson, Anne warmly hugged Haakon VIII after Harald V was laid to rest at Akershus Fortress, as their conversation brought a smile to the new King's face despite the sombre occasion. When Anne noticed Queen Sonja standing by herself, she politely excused herself as William stepped forward to warmly greet Haakon in their first meeting since he became King of Norway. After executing a perfect curtsy before Sonja, the typically reserved Anne held both of her hands as she appeared to console Haakon's grieving mother with kind words and reassuring smiles. Princess Ingrid Alexandra could repeatedly be seen thanking Prince William, who attended the funeral without the Princess of Wales, and Princess Anne during a brief exchange before they departed the Royal Palace. The funeral also highlighted the strong bond between Norway and the Netherlands' future queens - Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia and Ingrid Alexandra - when the 'royal besties' reunited yesterdayCatharina-Amalia, the 22-year-old heir to the Dutch throne, gave her friend a hug as she joined her parents, Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary, for the funeral. It was previously reported that Catharina-Amalia, Ingrid Alexandra and Belgium's Princess Elisabeth have a WhatsApp group chat. In June last year, the Princess of Orange also told journalist Wim Dehandschutter via Australia Women's Weekly: 'We stay in contact with each other because we are all living a very specific life and we don't need much explanation to understand each other.'She added: 'It's a good thing that I can chat with Elisabeth and Ingrid Alexandra about very simple things in our life which are difficult, different for us, friendships, privacy, social media. We discuss how we handle it.'