Haakon VIII swore an oath of allegiance before Norway’s parliament on Tuesday, formally opening the new king’s reign after Harald V died on Friday. Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra stood beside him as he promised to govern Norway in line with the 1814 constitution and laws. The 17-minute ceremony also exposed the personal strain inside the royal household.
Haakon VIII said, “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,” before MPs and cabinet ministers. Masud Gharahkhani responded by describing Harald V as someone who had embodied “the values that underpin our liberal democracy.”
Mette-Marit misses Oslo ceremony
Mette-Marit did not attend because of complications after a lung transplant in June. Are Holm said the queen had had “complications on some occasions with the operation, including today,” and added, “As a result, she must be put under observation throughout the day today.”
Her absence mattered because the ceremony placed the new king, his daughter Ingrid Alexandra, and Norway’s parliament at the center of a succession that had already been watched closely at home. A poll for NRK found about 72% of Norwegians supported the monarchy after Harald V’s death, up from 54% in May and 60% in February when the royal family was mired in scandals and Mette-Marit faced criticism over Jeffrey Epstein.
Norway’s post-coronation succession
Norway abolished formal coronation more than a century ago, so the oath before Norway’s parliament is the formal start of the transition rather than a crowning ritual. Haakon VIII may choose to have his accession consecrated at Trondheim’s Nidaros Cathedral, a step that would follow the oath rather than replace it.
Harald V’s funeral will be held in Oslo on 9 September, and heads of state from around the world have been invited. Tens of thousands of Norwegians have already flocked to the royal palace with flowers, drawings, candles and flags, turning the days after the death of the 89-year-old king into a public farewell that now moves toward the funeral and the next decision on accession consecrated in Trondheim.
Whether Haakon VIII chooses that ceremony will shape the next stage of the monarchy’s transition, but Tuesday’s oath already fixed the legal moment when Norway’s crown passed to the 53-year-old king.
