OSLO, Norway – In a historic moment marking the start of a new era for the Norwegian monarchy, King Haakon VIII formally pledged allegiance to Norway’s constitution during a ceremony in Parliament Tuesday. The symbolic step comes just days after the passing of his father, King Harald V, who ruled the Scandinavian nation for 35 years and died last Friday at the age of 89.
Haakon, who ascended to the throne immediately following Harald V’s death, has chosen the motto “All for Norway” – a phrase that traces its origin back to his great-grandfather, reflecting continuity with the nation’s long royal legacy. On Tuesday morning, the 53-year-old new monarch traveled the short distance from the Royal Palace to the Storting (Norway’s Parliament) in an open vehicle, where the day’s formal proceedings got underway.
Masud Gharahkhani, the Speaker of the Storting, opened the ceremony by making the official announcement of King Harald V’s death and Haakon’s succession to the throne. After the announcement, Haakon took the historic oath of office, stating: “I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and Laws; so help me God, the Almighty and Omniscient.”
The Norwegian monarchy is one of the oldest continuing institutions in Europe, with roots stretching back to King Harald Fairhair in the 9th century. When Norway regained full independence from Sweden in 1905, a national referendum saw three-quarters of voters support the restoration of the monarchy. Today, while the monarchy holds a largely ceremonial role with all governing power vested in the elected parliament and government, the royal family remains a key cultural and diplomatic asset that helps promote Norway’s interests and image around the globe.
In the days leading up to the oath-taking ceremony, the late King Harald V’s coffin was transported to the Royal Palace chapel in central Oslo on Monday. The coffin will remain at the chapel ahead of King Harald V’s funeral scheduled for September 9. From Tuesday afternoon through September 8, the chapel will be open daily to allow members of the public to pay their final respects by walking past the coffin. The Royal Palace has issued guidelines for visitors: no photography or videography is permitted inside the chapel, and guests are asked not to leave flowers or other tributes at the site.
The procession bringing the coffin to the palace chapel on Monday marked the first official public appearance of Haakon’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, since she assumed her new title. The queen had largely stayed out of the public eye after undergoing a lung transplant in June of this year. However, just ahead of Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony, the palace announced that Queen Mette-Marit would be unable to attend the event due to post-transplant complications.
In a statement, the palace shared a comment from Are Holm, a pulmonologist at Oslo University Hospital, who explained that post-transplant complications are not unusual, and that the queen has experienced these complications on multiple occasions, including on the day of the ceremony. “As a result, the Queen must remain under observation throughout the day. Unfortunately, the Queen will therefore be unable to attend the swearing-in ceremony at the Storting today,” Holm said.