King Haakon VIII Swears Oath as Norway Mourns Late King Harald V
On September 1, 2026, King Haakon VIII of Norway formally swore the constitutional oath before the Storting in Oslo, marking the official commencement of his reign just four days after the death of his father, King Harald V, at age 89, according to reports from EFE.
Constitutional Continuity at the Storting
The transition of power unfolded inside Norway’s parliament on a Tuesday morning. King Haakon VIII took the podium alongside his daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, to deliver the traditional oath. “Prometo y juro gobernar el Reino de Noruega de acuerdo con su Constitución y sus leyes, así me ayude Dios todopoderoso y omnisciente,” the new monarch declared, according to EFE coverage.
The ceremony lasted approximately twenty minutes. Parliamentary President Masud Gharahkhani led proceedings by observing a moment of silence for the late king. Gharahkhani addressed the new sovereign directly, noting that Harald V served for 35 years as a symbol of security, continuity, and union. The proceedings concluded with attendees singing the royal anthem, “Kongesangen.”
Absences and Family Dynamics in the Royal House
Noticeably absent from the parliamentary proceedings was Queen Mette-Marit. According to official statements from the Norwegian Royal Court cited by EFE, the queen missed the ceremony due to ongoing medical complications stemming from a lung transplant procedure she underwent in June. She remained under medical observation throughout the day.
While the queen watched from afar, other senior royals filled key roles. Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra accompanied her father and completed a written version of her own constitutional pledge. Prince Sverre Magnus and Queen Sonja, the widow of Harald V, observed the proceedings from the parliamentary gallery.
Public Mourning and Institutional Stability
Outside the Storting, public participation remained high. Thousands of citizens lined the streets of Oslo as the new monarch traveled from the Royal Palace in a 1966 open-top Lincoln Continental, a classic vehicle historically reserved for major royal milestones, as reported by EFE. Meanwhile, the public capilla ardiente opened inside the Royal Palace on Tuesday afternoon, allowing citizens to pay their respects to King Harald V ahead of his scheduled September 9 funeral.
An NRK opinion poll cited by EFE indicated that 72 percent of Norwegians currently support the monarchy, marking an eight-point increase compared to a previous poll conducted in May.
King Haakon VIII now steps into the role of head of state facing an international security climate that he described in his first address on Saturday as significantly more unpredictable than the majority of his father’s 35-year reign.